Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain and former Delta state governorship aspirant, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has commended the move by Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa to attract $40m (about N15.2 billion) power transmission tower manufacturing industry in the state.
With the aim to promote industrialization, Delta State Government through Delta Investment Development Agency has partnered Delfrasco to house Africa’s largest Tower Manufacturing, Testing, Research, Training & Hot Dip Galvanising Facility in Issele-Uku, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.
Upon completion, the industry will be Nigeria’s and indeed, Africa’s first and largest multi-industries local content industrial complex, providing products and services to power, oil and gas, telecoms, agriculture and other industries.
Speaking to newsmen on the sideline on Thursday during the ground breaking ceremony by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa at Isselu-Uku, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, Onuesoke said the project will contribute positively to the industrial development of Delta State in particular and Nigeria in general.
He added that the earning of foreign currency from the project would boost the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
According to him: “This project is one of the best thing that has ever happened to Nigerians. It will encourage investment in other facets of the society, thereby boosting employment, increasing earning and improving the socio-economic life of the people. By so doing it will reduce the criminal activities in the state to the barest minimum.”
Onuesoke pointed out that Okowa attracting of company of such global high economic value into Delta state is a fulfillment of his earlier promise of attracting foreign investments into Delta state by creating an environment that will make the state become the most investor-friendly destination in Nigeria.
He recalled that Governor Okowa in a meeting with prospective Chinese investors last year made an interesting remark about seeing to it that Delta becomes the most investor-friendly destination in Nigeria.
“The meeting, held in Shenyang, China, was part of a roadshow organised by the state government to build momentum for the impending industrial park in the Kwale region of Delta State.
“To achieve it, the Governor set up an initial intervention fund of $10m as a counterpart start up equity to de-risk the investment for investors that are able to make an early decision to set up their plants in the industrial park.
“While this is a step closer to creating a sustainable economy for Delta, the writing on the wall clearly showed that the state heavily favours industrialization,” he disclosed.
Onuesoke explained that in furtherance of his administration’s agenda to truly transform Delta State into an entity weaned of over-dependence on crude oil as revenue source, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has long articulated a policy to industrialise the state by creating industrial parks in designated areas of the state to attract prospective investors, adding the housing of $40m Africa Largest Manufacturing Tower is one of the achievements of his efforts.
