The Abia State government said it has secured approvals for about N1.24 trillion in private capital to expand investment and infrastructure beyond the limits of public financing.
 
The state said flag-offs of some of the projects would begin imminently as the pipeline comprises N914 billion in joint ventures and N327 billion in design-build-operate-transfer (DBOT) concessions, with market development and power and energy among the major areas targeted.
 
Governor Alex Otti disclosed this yesterday in Lagos at the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) Meet the Governor Series, where he spoke on “Repositioning Abia for Enterprise, Industrialisation and Sustainable Economic Growth.”

Otti said the administration was deliberately creating the economic fundamentals needed to attract and retain long-term private capital, stressing that investors are more interested in predictable economic conditions and viable projects than expensive investment-provmotion campaigns.
 
He said the state’s N1.01 trillion 2026 appropriation allocates 80 per cent to capital expenditure, while internally generated revenue is being used for recurrent obligations and external/private capital is being deployed to infrastructure and other growth-enhancing assets.
 
The governor said the objective was to reposition Abia as a regional destination for investment capital, arguing that capital had an “extreme aversion to uncertainty.”
 
According to him, quality infrastructure, security of lives and property, and responsive institutions were critical to convincing investors to commit funds to long-term projects.
 
Otti said his administration had therefore prioritised roads and other public infrastructure to open up the state, connect major business destinations and restore confidence among investors and businesses.
 
“We took on long-abandoned roads in our important business hubs and fixed them to announce our intention,” he said, adding that hundreds of kilometres of roads had been rehabilitated since the beginning of his administration.
 
He, however, noted that infrastructure alone could not determine investment decisions, as investors assessed the broader economic ecosystem before deploying capital.
 
During a fireside chat with Professor of Economics at Lagos Business School, Bongo Adi, the governor highlighted Abia’s investment opportunities, attributing the state’s growing prospects to the resilience of its people and increasing adoption of technology.
 
Looking ahead, Otti said sustained leadership and effective governance would be critical to transforming the state and making it globally competitive.
 
“When people see leadership and when they have tasted leadership, they know,” he said.
 
Otti added: “In 10 years, I see an Abia that can compete globally. If Abia were to be a country, it would be the fourth largest in the world.”
 
Earlier, President and Chairman of NBCC, Abimbola Olashore, stressed the need for clear and predictable policies, responsive institutions and quality infrastructure to strengthen investor confidence and unlock sustainable investment opportunities in the state.
 
Olashore said businesses and investors required an enabling environment, security, access to markets and meaningful partnerships to scale operations and contribute to Abia’s economic growth.