Chinese Firm To Invest In Abia

A Chinese trade and in
vestment company, JMET Corporation, has indicated its willingness to invest in the industrial power sector in Abia.
The National Coordinator/Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria-China Business Council (NCBC), Matthew Uwaekwe, stated this in Umuahia, when he led some Chinese investors on a visit to Governor Theodore Orji.
Uwaekwe said that the corporation, a subsidiary of Jiangsu Sainty International Group, would build and operate industrial power projects of various capacities to serve the emerging industrial clusters in the state.
He said that the corporation would also embark on the manufacturing of pre-paid power meters and recharge cards, adding that it would also invest in recreation parks.
He said that the corporation would engage in the exploration of the oil and gas potential in the state and develop estate for mass housing.
Uwaekwe said the corporation also had interest in the re-engineering and transformation of the moribund Golden Guinea Brewery in Umuahia.
He solicited the collaboration of the state government for the training and empowerment of Abia youths in China in different vocations, trades and entrepreneurial development.
Uwaekwe gave the assurance that the group would bankroll any selected investment in the state.
“The Chinese group will provide full and adequate finance for suitable, consequential and people-friendly projects in Abia,’’ he said.
Responding, the governor commended China’s meteoric industrial growth and expressed concern that the country was yet to take advantage of the improved security situation to invest in the state.
He appealed to the investors to invest in the state without further hesitation, while assuring them of adequate safety of their lives and investment.
“Government has provided an enabling environment for business to thrive,’’ he said, adding that the state had both skilled and unskilled manpower to support the investment.
He said that as a member of the Niger Delta Development Commission, the state had large investment potential in the oil and gas sector.
He said that the company could also intervene in the power and manufacturing sectors as well as in the resuscitation of the Golden Guinea Brewery and UCL Modern Ceramics, Umuahia.
The governor, who noted that the end of his administration was imminent, said he would be delighted if the company could commence investment in any area before his exit from office in 2015.
“Any investment in the state by the NCBC that would help to transform the economy of the state, create jobs for the youths and put money in people’s pockets, would be welcomed,’’ Orji said.