By Gordi Udeajah
Abia state government has set articulation of an Industrial Policy into motion for which a committee has been constituted to drive the process and bringing it to fruition.
The state Information Commissioner Prince Okey Kanu said yesterday that the Industrial Policy is a strategic move to boost the ease of doing business and conducive environment for the people and prospective investors in the state
He said that the policy has become necessary, in view of the strategic and massive transformation of the state in all areas of governance and the institutional reforms that the state government has carried out in the past 31 months.
The Commissioner who said that the administration of governor Alex Otti in the state has underscored the dueness of an industrial policy that can drive the industrial development of the state through its Ease of Doing Business Agency, has done quite well to enhance the ease of doing business environment in the state.
According to him, ” a new industrial policy, together with a very conducive ease of doing business environment, would help to attract investors and development to the state, as well as market its potential, while strengthening its comparative advantage in various areas of resource availability and management”.
The Commissioner further said that
in line with the state 2025 – 2050 development plan that would be championed by the Umuahia Capital Development Authority ( UCDA ) Â Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) and Greater Ohafia Development Authority (GODA), the state government has initiated more plans for urban renewal of the state which
The initiative, the Commissioner said , would address infrastructure programme aimed at enhancing street naming, house numbering, and geo-reference to ensure order and all-round economic growth of the state.
“We know that in most of our cities, when somebody directs you to a particular number, it will take some time to find that number. Because our streets are not well named, they are not well numbered, and that creates a lot of confusion.
“So the state government has come up with an initiative to address this gap. The state government is executing a long-term development programme or plan, 2025 to 2050.
“Of course, you know that planning, security, logistics, and digital services to a larger extent depend on clear locations and addresses.
“You can imagine where there is a fire outbreak somewhere, and you are directing the fire service to come there, and there is no street address.
