The Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) has begun campaign for economic revolution in the South East geopolitical zone, with a call on governments of the zone to evolve credible partnerships with the private sector, especially with the chambers of commerce, to achieve rapid economic growth and massive creation of job opportunities for millions of unemployed youths in the zone.
Soon, the zone’s oldest city chamber would hold a business roundtable, in which investment opportunities in the zone of the rising sun are slated for discussion, and how to harness these for mutual beneficial impact for employment generation for the people, and the multiplier effect on the economy.
With about seven chambers of commerce, over 30,000 cooperative societies, vast number of traders and a population of over 25 million people, and natural resource deposits in tow, the South East zone, arguably suffers undersized socio-economic growth, due to poorly developed or inexistent government (or public) partnerships with the private sector, otherwise called PPP.
Ugochukwu Chime, the president of ECCIMA recently led his council members to visit some ECCIMA member-industries in Enugu State that create employments and add value to the economic development of the zone. He observed that, a credible partnership between governments and the private sector would ensure full economic development of the zone, which has also continued to lead in educational pursuits. Each year, for many years now, the South East states lead in the producing highest number of candidates sitting for public examinations in the country such as WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and JAMB. Ironically, there is an unmatched number of academic institutions (primary to tertiary) to absorb the burgeoning young population.
Chime noted that the zone would not achieve the needed economic growth unless a proactive action was taken by the governments together, to address the challenges posed by poor basic infrastructures such as roads, power, health, water, among others for development of the private sector.
The ECCIMA president further emphasized that the issue of creating employment opportunities lay in the hands of private industries; pointing out that once companies and small-scale businesses can be protected by government policies, they would, in turn, create jobs for the people.
He said the idea of government giving money to unemployed Nigerians would not solve the country’s problem; but advised that governments should channel such funds as soft loans to especially small-scale companies who would, in turn, provide jobs for the people; saying that the few companies the chamber leadership visited recently have over 12,000 workers direct and indirect.
Meanwhile, the Enugu Chamber said it has concluded plans to, in collaboration with other city chambers, visit a good number of industries in the south east zone that are involved in employment creation and adding value to the economy of the zone, to encourage them.
“We are prepared to showcase all the major industries in the south east zone that do not only create employment, but also add value to the economy of the zone in all our activities,” he said; adding that the chamber, at its first outing, visited four selected companies in Enugu State.
“We have been on tour of the captains of industry in Enugu State. We visited four establishments, which include the Rico group of companies, where they are producing a number of things from water to agricultural products, lubricants, among others.
He listed other companies visited as: Heliu Residence at New Independence Layout, belonging to Fill Consult, which is trying to create a new section in Enugu, including industrial, commercial and real estate; Roban Stores, with Rob Onwuatu as the CEO of Roban group at its brand new store at Agbani Road, and a new hotel being developed by Emeka Nwandu.
The ECCIMA president said Enugu was a bubbling industrial hub that people are now taking advantage of good business environment; adding that soon ECCIMA would go round the South East zone, to showcase what is happening in the zone to other parts of the world.
He also noted that many southeasterners have started coming back to Igbo land to begin to add value to what is being done here; adding that they in the organized private sector are talking to each of these Diaspora returnees, on need to have their companies running across Igbo land.
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