Nigeria: Okonjo-Iweala Challenges South-East Governors On Regional Economy

2 October 2023
This Day (Lagos)
By Tony Icheku, Owerri

The Director-General of the World Trade Centre, WTC , Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Thursday challenged the governors of the South-East geo-political region to eschew bitterness among themselves and collaborate to maximize the potential of the region and build a vibrant economy. She maintained that only deliberate approaches by the governors would boost the region's economy.

Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria's Former Minister of Finance and Coordinator of the Economy, made the remarks in her keynote address presented via Zoom at the ongoing South-East Summit on Economy and Security in Owerri, the Imo State capital, proffering that

the Igbo had huge human resources that could be utilised to advance the economy of the region.

"The Igbo have high human resources. Our people are scattered across the World and are excelling. I call on the South-East governors to convene an investment forum to examine the cause of blockages within the zone and how to address them, eschew bickering and work together.

"I urge the governors to open discussions with pharmaceutical companies, vaccine producers on how to create a market chain in the zone. It can be achieved since power had been privatised.

"I appeal to the governors to maximise the huge Ndigbo human resource to support professors to develop high quality schools, diaspora doctors to build quality hospitals", She proposed

In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion and Nigeria's former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, condemned the rising insecurity in the region and urged the leaders of the region to make a strong statement on the struggle for the actualisation of a sovereign state of Biafra even as he suggested that the agitators should be engaged in dialogue.

The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, in his remarks tasked Igbos on the restoration of Igbo values to drive economic goals.

The Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, host of the Summit, in his welcome address declared his commitment to the growth of the region and welcome the five South-East governors to the Summit

Present at the event include Governors Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state; Alex Otti of Abia state; Peter Mbah of Enugu state, and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi state who all affirmed their readiness to work for the unity and safety of region.

The Summit continues tomorrow in technical sessions.

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