Anyim implores South-East governors and people to invest in Igboland.

Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, a former secretary to the government of the federation, urged Igbos and South-East governors to make investments in the zone’s five states on Tuesday in order to advance its development.

At the two-day 2nd Eastern Nigeria Investment Summit in Enugu, Anyim offered the counsel.

The theme of the Summit is entitled: “Ibu Anyi Danda“  meaning the magic of togetherness and common purpose.

Anyim argued that in order to invest in and develop the region, the citizens and the governors should work together.

The opportunity to pool their resources, talents, and ideas for the benefit of the area, according to him, would be provided by their shared motivation, benefit, and survival.

The opportunity to pool their resources, talents, and ideas for the benefit of the area, according to him, would be provided by their shared motivation, benefit, and survival.

Anyim urged them to follow in the footsteps of the late Dr. Michael Okpara, Premier of the defunct Eastern Region, who, through infrastructure development and industrialization, brought about a great deal of change and development to the region during the First Republic.

He recalled that Okpara faced the difficult task of raising the standard of living for the populace after taking office in 1960.

He claimed that Okpara was able to improve the plight of the populace through his government’s growth plan thanks to the assistance and cooperation of regional stakeholders.

“At 39, he was able to invest in critical areas such as human capital development, industrialisation, entrepreneurship, agriculture and others, to stimulate the entire region.

“He attracted participation of the private sector and divest government interest to private sector and the region was rated the fastest developing economy in the world,” Anyim said.

Anyim claimed that despite federal funding given to states, people in the region had not taken advantage of the region’s economic opportunities. He urged the governments of the South-East to provide businesses and infrastructure to develop the region.

Anyim stated that “visionary leaders” like Chief Jim Nwobodo and Chief Sam Mbakwe greatly contributed to the development of the states of Enugu and Imo, respectively, by building infrastructure and establishing industries.

He claimed that if governments took the initiative to offer an insurance policy, protection, assistance, and infrastructure to ensure that investors’ investments succeed, investors would have confidence.

Anyim explained that leadership must create an environment that will support others’ efforts in response to the question of why Igbos were developing places other than their own.

“This complement is more practical in technological businesses. If you support me and I support you, we complement each other and together we can do anything,” he said.

Anyim, however, urged the Igbos to invest in their region’s development and for the governments to create an environment and infrastructure that will allow the region to prosper.

Earlier, Mr. Jasper Nduagwuike, the Chairman of the Summit Planning Committee, stated that the event’s goal was to showcase the opportunities present in the eastern region and how to use them to improve people’s lives.

He claims that the theme aims to instill in the Igbo a sense of resiliency and the knowledge that, with the right resources, nothing is insurmountable.

The Igbo people of the 1970s, according to Nduagwuike, who also serves as the president of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), “Ibu Anyi Danda,” were able to recover from the 30-month civil war by drawing strength from one another and create the society we have today.

“It is the coalition of different artisans in Aba who came together to produce the best of cloths and shoes,” he said.

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