Akwa Ibom Government Partners With Chinese To Develop State

The Executive Chairman, Akwa Ibom Investment Corporation, Dr Elijah Akpan has told a delegation of Chinese investors that “The Akwa Ibom State Government will provide land with Certificate of Occupancy to any investor willing to do business in the state”.

Dr Elijah Akpan disclosed that the state had packaged incentives for intending investors ranging from tax holiday to the development of bankable business plan.

“We want to make sure that we are independent of oil. Industrialization is the only means to move us away from peasantry,” Akpan said.

He told the Chinese investors that investment opportunities abound in the state in the area of oil and gas, agro-allied industries, tourism, fruits and seafood production and packaging.

“The state governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, is passionate about wealth creation through industrialization and infrastructural development.

“We are ready to partner with the Chinese Government and investors to bring industrialization to the state,” the executive chairman said.

The leader of the nine-man Chinese delegation, Mr Wang Chen, said they were in Akwa Ibom to explore investment opportunities.

Chen, who is the Director of Small and Medium Enterprises Administration, Qingzhou city, China, said that they intended to set up factories in the state and not just bringing in finished products.

He said their areas of interest includes aluminium and glass manufacturing, oil palm production and processing, pharmaceutical, boat building and marine services, dredging and sand mining, water treatment and packaging, electronics, mechanical equipment, tractor and power plant manufacturing

The Chinese delegation appealed for cooperation from the state government and business community.

Maxwell Ashiuloka – Abuja