Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has expressed support for investors’ plans to revive the long-abandoned Aba Mega Mall and convert it into a manufacturing park, marking a major step towards industrial growth 10 years after its neglect.
According to thisdaylive.com, The glimmer of hope for the abandoned project surfaced yesterday following a crucial meeting between Governor Otti and a team from Greenfields Assets Limited led by its Group Chairman, Dr Paul Obanua.
The multi-million dollar Aba Mega Mall was inaugurated in May 2015 and thereafter abandoned by the previous administration in state which allowed the project to lie comatose.
However, Otti has promised that his administration was disposed to entering into a partnership with the investors to revive the project and convert it to a major centre of economic activities.
Obanua told journalists after the meeting that he was excited over the outcome of his deliberations with the Abia Governor, adding that he was pained after watching a project he had borrowed $10 million to set up wasting away.
“We are very excited that the Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, has granted us the audience we have not had in this state in the last 10 years,” he said.
The Group Chairman of Greenfields Assets said that a consortium of investors have been “lined up to bring investments worth over N50 billion to Aba Mega Mall Space to be converted into a manufacturing ecosystem and export hub.”
He said that they have outlined their new plans for the abandoned project, saying that it would be transformed into a manufacturing services and standardisation for the hardworking and talented Abia entrepreneurs, especially for garments and shoes.
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“We are here today to present our new initiative and plan for Aba Mega Mall to transform it into an industrial manufacturing park and export hub that can service US, Europe, Asia and Africa Markets,” he said.
According to him, “we are going to have automated industrial garment cutting and sewing machines that would improve productivity for the garments and shoes manufacturers by more than 100 times”.
He said that in partnership with the Abia government, they would provide power, standardisation as well as put certifications to the manufactured products in order to export them for the benefit of the entrepreneurs.
He identified lack of automated industrial cutting and sewing machines for garments and shoes producers as some of the problems of the manufacturers/artisans and offered to fill that gap.
Obanua lauded Otti for inspiring and development focused leadership, which has encouraged investors to come and put their money in Abia thereby improving the economy and overall development of the state.
He said: “What is important in every leadership is the political will to do the right thing. If the leader is willing, the people will be willing and would follow. Everybody wants development, (but) if your political leaders lack the political will to do the right thing, no matter how beautiful the project is, it’s never gonna work.”
Otti had, in welcoming the initiative of the investors, stated that his government was committed to partnering with genuine investors to bring positive turn around of the economy of the state.
He assured the management of Greenfield Assets Limited that his administration would consider its request in order to find a way of bringing the long abandoned Aba Mega Mall project back to life.
Consequently, Otti directed that further engagements between the state government team and the investors, noting that he is in governance to create wealth for the people.
