Businessmen in Akwa Ibom have been advised to think outside the box and not allow government setbacks and challenges to limit their success and impact.
The advice came as business owners in the state highlighted numerous issues militating against doing business locally.
Some of the challenges, according to them, include very low ease of doing business and delays in signing Certificates of Occupancy (CofO). They also lamented that failure to address land title difficulties had led their foreign partners to accuse them of being fraudsters.
They further disclosed that many Akwa Ibom citizens abroad were looking for honest investments back home, urging the state government to make haste and roll out an “ease of doing business” procedure to attract them.
However, the Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, charged them to strive to succeed despite whatever governments throw at them. He also appealed to Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State to address persistent outcries by investors and businessmen in the state.
The Mayor of Housing made the statement during a meeting with business owners in the state.
The brainstorming session was part of the Mayor’s week-long business engagements in Akwa Ibom State. He was also in the state to participate in the commissioning of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Enwang, Mbo local government headquarters.
The indigenous investors appealed to top entrepreneurs, such as the Mayor of Housing and government officials to advocate for “Ease of Doing Business” in the state, particularly regarding Certificates of Occupancy (CofO), standard industrial estates, tax harmonisation, better roads, and other critical areas.
Responding, Mrs Meflyn Anwana, Special Adviser on Entrepreneurship to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, assured the investors that many incentives and packages are on the way to attract investments. She said the woes mentioned by the investors were inherited, but Governor Umo Eno has implemented solutions that would have an immediate impact once the policies are unveiled.
The Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Lady Emem Ibanga, supported the assurances given by the Special Adviser. She said her ministry is committed to reducing the agony for the least privileged and incarcerated citizens.
The Mayor of Housing, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Housing and Construction Mayor Limited, promoters of the upcoming Alesa Highlands Green Smart City near Port Harcourt, Rivers State, urged business owners to learn to think outside the box to solve most problems.
During the discussions, the real estate success strategist addressed practical matters in investments, business decisions, collaboration, the new capital, and overcoming challenges.
He gave tips and advised embracing real estate, saying, “The wealth of the Earth is the earth. Learn to translate labour into mental capital. Don’t waste it.”
He shared his own experience: “The secret of my success is going back to do apprenticeship. I was always the best student, best in class, best in university, but I was nothing in business without learning, without apprenticeship.
“Agents and those who sell land must endeavour to reinvest in the same real estate. It is a crime to make money in real estate without reinvesting in it.”
To developers, he said, “Find out where people are going, buy land there before they get there. Entrepreneurs are born when problems occur; so solve problems, make money.”
He advised business leaders to leave legacies that would convince their children of the value of hard work. “Collaboration is the new capital.”
