By Jude Michael
The Pro-Chancellor of Olivia University, Burundi, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Nigeria-Burundi Business Council, has predicted that the South East will become a bastion of manufacturing in the next 10 years, urging the governors of the South East to work in synergy to make it a reality.
Sir Paul Chukwuma stated this during a visit to Geometrics Power Aba, on Thursday, March 7, 2024, to understand the working principles and business model of the Aba Integrated Power Plant and seek technical advice on replicating the same in Anambra State.
Speaking during an interactive session with Prof Barth Nnaji and the members of his management team at the conference hall of the Aba Power, Chukwuma congratulated Prof. Barth Nnaji for a job well done, praising his vision and steadfastness in seeing the project through.
His words, ‘I want to commend you for your commitment and perseverance to this project despite the litany of challenges. It shows unbridled love for nation-building. Staying for 20 years on this project despite the challenging business climate and various commercial litigation is a testimony of your commitment to the progress of Ndigbo and Nigeria. You have done a noble act by providing an empirical proof of concept for others, having set in motion a chain reaction with an enormous positive loop for our country. The effect of this project on the economy of Aba and by extension the South East will be far-reaching. The expected result is that many businesses will move into Aba to utilize this reliable energy, especially manufacturing businesses. When this happens we expect to see the unemployment rate in Aba and its environs drop alongside youth restiveness.’
Chukwuma said that as an entrepreneur from Umueri in Anambra State, his visit to the facility partly found an expression in the biblical invitation to Apostle Paul to come over to Macedonia for help. He noted that Anambra was losing its position as a commercial centre due to the absence of reliable energy such that many industries had gone under, while the remaining few struggled to survive.
He said the bold steps taken in Abia to ensure reliable energy in the ring fence was an indication that there was light at the end of the tunnel. ‘Against this background, I seek for partnership between your companies and the manufacturing arm of our group of companies. While we may be tempted to seek relocation of some of our ongoing manufacturing installations from Anambra to the Geometrics Power ring fence, we also know that this can be replicated in Anambra State so that many more businesses can benefit and the effects sync with that of Aba to give an ultra-boost to commerce in the South East and perhaps, produce the “Asian Miracle” for Nigeria,’ he stated.
In his response, Prof Barth Nnaji gave a rundown on the project history, stating that the project took him 20 years to complete due to lots of man-made bottlenecks and that the ideal completion date ought to be three years.
‘I began this project in 2004 and by the time I became a Minister in 2011, almost everything was ready. In truth, it was on the strength of what we have done here that I was invited to become a Minister. Various issues came up and the project took two decades to get completed,’ he said.
Prof Nnaji added that the Aba Power consisted of three different companies, the companies being the generating company which generated power and sold to the transmitting company which in return sold to the distribution company. He further added that the power plant was focused on improving knowledge by employing lots of local staffers who worked seamlessly with expatriates from various countries.
From the conference room, Nnaji and his team took Chukwuma and his team on a guided tour of the facilities, including the generating plant where the turbines were already at work.
At the end of the tour, Chukwuma thanked Professor Nnaji for the reception and tour, noting that he would continue to seek his advice as he continued to seek various options for the supply of reliable energy for businesses in Anambra State.
‘My visit here has provided me with a lot of insight into the various issues affecting electricity in Nigeria. I will go home and distil the information further. Be assured that I will continue to reach out to you for more advice and guidance till the Anambra business community has something to cheer about,’ he said.
Sir Chukwuma was accompanied to the Aba Power by several businessmen and technocrats from Anambra State.
