Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, on Monday, called on Indonesian businesses and investors to take advantage of the numerous investment opportunities, improved business environment and ample Returns On Investment in the state in order to grow the economy.
Mbah made the call while delivering a keynote address at the 2023 Nigerian-Indonesian Investment and Trade Forum, which opened in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, on Monday.
At the event, the governments of Nigeria and Indonesia pledged closer partnership to bolster trades and investments between both countries for their mutual prosperity.
The Enugu Governor, while speaking at the event organised by the Nigerian-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with the Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre, Lagos, lauded the growth of trade volume between Nigeria and Indonesia to $4.7 billion.
He noted that both countries could do much more, especially considering the abundant opportunities offered by Enugu State.
Governor Mbah listed investment opportunities in the state to include agriculture, mineral resources, logistics, aviation, tourism, real estate and ICT, among others.
He said, “In the area of agriculture, Enugu is blessed with 10 per cent arable, fertile land with a high factor of productivity and good access to both surface and subterranean water that makes year-round agriculture possible.
“The state is climatically disposed to the production of key produce like cassava, oil palm, cashew, spices of various types.
“These areas offer not only the opportunity for primary agricultural production, but also the opportunity to invest in industrial facilities to add value to these produce for local consumption, as well as export.”
“The state is also blessed with significant deposits of minerals. In the area of petroleum, it has proven deposits of oil; but more importantly, it has extensive deposits of natural gas.
“Other minerals within the state include coal, gold, kaolin, gypsum, clay, and limestone, among others. This makes Enugu ideal not only for mining, but also for the siting of key industries.”
Mbah added that his administration’s target to grow the state’s economy from the current $4.4 billion to a new level of $30 billion, noting that this would be anchored on extensive private sector investment, utilisation of strong local and international partnerships.
