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Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Willie Obiano, spoke at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on his priority tasks and strategy. Steve Omanufeme was there. Excerpts: What are you taking out of this World Economic Forum that will positively affect your people?
I am very happy to be here to learn a few more things to add to the strategy I am running in my state, Anambra State . You can see the attendance at the forum, it brings to fore the fact that Africa is the focal point now in the world.
First we have the population, we have the growing market, the youth. If we are zero in on Nigeria in particular, we are the largest attraction in Africa, especially on the account of the recent rebasing of the GDP and the economic transformation the government has embarked on.
Beyond that If you listen to the points being made at this forum it strengthens my views I have in respect of the four pillars of my government. If you listen to the talks this morning the presenters all talked about the role of agriculture in empowering the youths in terms of creating job opportunities in terms building of. In later sessions you will here oil and gas. These are some of the pillars I have. On trade and commerce, most of things we got to do in agriculture, oil and gas will lead to you selling goods and products.
And We need morden market to sell the goods and produce. We are embarking on building modern markets in Anambra State with a view to creating the enabling environment for commerce to thrive. The other pillar is industrialisation
Beyond that security is critical. My first emphasis is to create the enabling environment. My second will be to ensure that there is power in the different industrial clusters in the state. That will enable manufacturers and other investors to do their business effectively. So I am very happy.
There are different investors who have come here for the forum, what specific thing are you offering in your engagement with them?
Providing the enabling environment. That is the primary role of government. Government should not be doing what the private sector does. Its role is to ensure that there is enough infrastructure, security, enabling laws favourable for growing businesses. For example c of O. We are trying to speed up the process of getting C of O to one week. Before now it could take as long as two years to have one. There are all types of economic reforms and changes we have embarked on. I encourage everybody to come and invest in Anambra. We are going to investors the land provide the enabling environment to their business. Tax breaks that will enable them produce their goods at cost effective levels to compete favourable in the global market.
The theme of the WEF on Africa is 'Forging Inclusive Growth, Creating Jobs.' In your view do you think inclusive growth can be possible in this country?
In economics inclusive growth means growing the economy with the level of poverty dropping in real terms. That is what the current administration in the country is focusing on. Our growth strategy is inclusive involving the grassroots, training them and providing the enabling environment and laws for business to thrive produce goods. We are trying to create more wealth to as many people as possible.
Anambra is endowed with very resourcefully people and very intelligent people. As you are aware, Anambra state took the first position in WAEC results recently. We have doing well academically and that leads to producing the best graduates.
The inclusive growth you are talking about comes about by creating jobs and that is the strategic thrust of the government. Where wealth is evenly distributed the economy will thrive.
Apart from agriculture what other area of are there for investors to come and invest in Anambra?
Do you have the enabling environment? Do you have the security? Do you have the enablement in terms of favourable laws? Do you have ease of land acquisition ?
Basically that's what I want to provide. The calibre of the people on the team, the kind of things we are doing have begun to gain attention all over the world and I have started receiving calls and commendations, first on security and road infrastructure we are building.
These are the thing investors need to come to the state. So in a very short time we going to have investors coming in the area of manufacturing and what have
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