INDUSTRIALIZATION AND POWER

Industrialization has copiously manifested as a priority sector in the development matrix of Akwa Ibom State Governor , Udom Emmanuel, not only because it is one of the major planks of the Eight Point Completion Agenda of Governor Udom Emmanuel but it has so far remained a recurring decimal in the christening of the State budgets.

The 1999 budget of Akwa Ibom State was christened, “Budget of Industrialization for Poverty Alleviation” while that of the current fiscal year 2020, is christened, “Budget of Industrialization for Poverty Alleviation” phase 11, continuing the mapping from that of the previous year.

While presenting the 2020 budget on the floor of the House on October 8, 2019, Governor Emmanuel had said unequivocally that, his vision was to build an industrialized state away from the Civil Service mono-economy, targeting job creation, wealth creation and poverty alleviation. “The 2020 budget is christened, Budget of Industrialization For Poverty Alleviation, phase 2, because my completion agenda is predicated primarily on the rapid industrialization of the state”, Governor Udom Emmanuel had emphasized.

With the resolve therefore to build more industries and attract huge volumes of Foreign Direct Investments, FDI, to the State, Governor Udom Emmanuel has at the last count, bring on stream, 18 industries which are producing consumables for the people, in keeping with the Governor’s commitment to ensuring that 80 percent of consumable items will be produced in the state by the end of his administration in 2023.

To this end, Akwa Ibom State prides itself as home to the largest Syringe manufacturing factory in Africa with a production capacity of 400 million syringes per annum, the Jubilee Syringe, the best and first ever digital Electric Metering Solutions manufacturing company, with a production capacity of 3 million prepaid meters annually, the Lions Plywood and Timber factory which at the moment is providing jobs to over 150 young people in the state and two Rice mills, the Ibom Agricon Rice mill, producing the Family Rice and the SACAM Afro Processing Rice Mill, producing the Three Rose Rice.

The State also boasts of the Greenwell Fertilizer blending company with a production capacity of 400,000 metric tons per annum, producing assorted kinds of fertilizers for different soil types, the Virgin Coconut oil Refinery, the Kings Flour mill and the Ufani Palm Kernel Crushing Plant in Ukanafun. Others include: the Plastic, Toothpick, Pencils and ongoing Quality Ceramics and Tissue production factories in Itu. There is also the Ibom Industrial Park/Jetty ongoing at the Ikot Abasi coastal area of the state, Cassava processing mills in Abak and Ibesikpo-Asutan, Oil palm processing depots, power and gas processing plant which is ongoing in Ibeno and the mega ongoing Ibom Deep Seaport, making Akwa Ibom stand tall as the emerging industrial hub of Nigeria.

With Power as the life wire of industrialization, Governor Udom Emmanuel has made huge investments in the linking of all parts of the state to electric power supply while also building electricity power sub-stations in strategic locations to ensure uninterrupted power supply for residents and investors.

The Governor has since his first term, demonstrated clear understanding of the cardinal role of power in the changing status of the state, from a predominantly civil service orientation to an industrial hub. In other words, the Governor fully realized that his efforts at building infrastructure to support his economic programmes in the State would come to naught without efficient power supply.

To this end, Governor Emmanuel has within the last five years, embarked on the following: the construction of a 2 x 5 MVA, 33/11 KV injector substation along Edet Akpan Avenue, Uyo, construction of Ibom International Airport’s 2 x 15 MVA injector sub-station, secured license for the generation of 685 megawatt at Ibom Power Plant, Ikot Abasi, construction of Power Sub-Station at Ekim, Mkpat Enin, rehabilitation of PHED facility at Etim Ekpo, Mkpat Enin, Ikot Ekpene, Ikot Abasi Ekpu Village as well as construction of 1x60MVA, 132/33KV Transmission sub-station in Afaha Ube in Itu LGA. These interventions are geared toward the provision of the backbone for other sectors of the economy to thrive as well as targeting the linking of every community in the state to the national grid.

The launch of Power-for-All by December, 2021 which was undertaken on September 23rd, 2019, is another audacious feat by Governor Udom Emmanuel towards ensuring that every home in the state is linked to power by the end of 2021. Government is currently collating data from all villages in the state for a community metering programme. Also, the Governor has ensured that an inventory is taken to know all the villages in the state without electricity power.

The strategic approach in the provision of power infrastructure across the state is to achieve the overall objective of improving the quality of life of the people and drive more investors to the state.

#GovUdom@54 !!!
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