Otti Woos Investors, Says Abia Reforms Are Opening New Doors for Business
For a trader in Aba, a manufacturer trying to move goods, or a young entrepreneur looking for a place to build a business, the difference between a difficult economy and a promising one can come down to something as simple as a good road, reliable security and lower operating costs.
That is the picture Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, is presenting to investors as his administration steps up efforts to turn the state into a major destination for business and industrial investment.
Speaking Thursday at the Meet the Governor Series of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce in Lagos, Otti identified seven sectors the state is targeting to attract investment capital, deepen industrialisation and create more economic opportunities.
They are agribusiness and agro-processing; trade and markets; creative and digital economy; manufacturing and industrialisation; small and medium enterprise development; inclusive finance and diaspora investment; and innovation.
Otti, who declared that Abia was open for business, said the government had spent the last 39 months removing barriers that had made it difficult for businesses to thrive.
He said the reforms in fiscal management, infrastructure, healthcare, security and transportation were designed not only to attract investors but also to make life and business easier for ordinary residents.
The governor pointed to what he described as growing recognition of the state’s transformation, saying his administration’s policies and reforms had attracted commendation and accolades from within Nigeria and beyond.
At the centre of the government’s strategy is infrastructure. Otti said 414 roads had been completed, with another 82 under construction, while more than 10,000 solar-powered streetlights had been installed across Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia.
For businesses, he said, improved roads and transportation were helping to reduce the cost and time involved in moving people and goods.
The governor also said Abia now had the lowest public transportation cost per kilometre in Nigeria, attributing the development to investment in road infrastructure and green shuttle buses.
In healthcare, Otti said the state had committed 15 per cent of its budget to the sector, helping Abia emerge as the nation’s top-ranked state in health emergency preparedness.
The state has also recorded favourable ratings on the safety of lives and property, while reforms in public finance have earned Abia recognition for greater transparency. Otti cited the state’s fourth-place ranking in BudgIT’s States Fiscal Transparency League for the fourth quarter of 2025.
The governor said the 2026 Abia budget of N1.016 trillion commits 80 per cent to capital expenditure, which he described as the country’s highest capital spending per resident based on available national expenditure figures.
He added that projected internally generated revenue of N223.4 billion was expected to cover recurrent expenditure.
Beyond the figures, Otti said the reforms were beginning to influence business decisions, with some companies that had previously left Abia returning because of lower transportation, rental and security costs.
He said the state’s growing population and increased public spending were also creating a larger consumer market for businesses.
For investors looking beyond Aba’s traditional manufacturing strength, Otti identified opportunities in livestock ranching, dairy, cashew, cocoa and rubber, particularly across plantation, processing and off-take value chains.
Other opportunities include garment manufacturing, ceramics and leather works, while tourism prospects include Enyimba Hotels and Ibom Waterfall.
The governor also highlighted the proposed Azumini-Obeaku Seaport as a potential trade and logistics gateway, alongside plans for an industrial park and a medical city.
For Aba, widely known for its entrepreneurial and manufacturing culture, the government’s pitch is that the city can now combine its long-standing business ingenuity with improved infrastructure and a more investor-friendly policy environment.
But the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce says government reforms alone cannot deliver the desired transformation.
Its President, Abimbola Olashore, said Aba’s manufacturing heritage gives Abia a strong foundation for industrial growth, but investors still need predictable policies, functional institutions and quality infrastructure before committing capital.
Olashore said government should concentrate on creating an enabling environment, while the private sector brings in capital, technology and expertise.
For Abia, the challenge now is to convert the growing praise for its reforms into sustained investment, more factories, stronger businesses and, most importantly, better livelihoods for the people whose daily lives are expected to improve when the promised transformation takes deeper root.
