Anambra woos China for trade economic partnership to achieve industrial revolution, sustainable development.

By Felix Oti Awka

Anambra State government has taken a major step towards the realization of the Prof. Chukwuma Soludo administration’s Dubai -Taiwan Model City development initiative as it sets machinery in motion for a actualization of Anambra – China (Shenzhen Great Bay) Cooperation for smart agricultural revolution, technological innovation, modern infrastructure and sustainable development.

The Shenzhen Bay Area in Southern China is a major economic powerhouse, home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and hub for Technology, finance and manufacturing.

Delivering his speech at the event held at Agulu, Anaocha Local Council Area of the State, weekend, Commissioner for Industry, Christian Udechukwu hinted that there are cross-sectoral opportunities for China to invest in strategic projects development in the State and wants Chinese companies to take spaces in the four model cities already mapped out for economic and industrial development. Udechukwu revealed that Governor Soludo is already developing Dragon City (China Town) to serve as a place of cultural exchange between Anambra State of Nigeria and China, in addition to the planned language centre Noting that the Anambra – China partnership will open more opportunities for both entities to do great things, Udechukwu disclose that the State is repositioning itself to become the biggest trading and infrastructure investment centre. He also hoped for speedy ratification of law as soon as the State House of Assembly passes the Energy-Power Bill into law soon to usher in gas, coal, solar and hydro power plants. In his presentation, the leader of the delegation and Vice President of Qingjian Group, Bo Wang said the company which was established in 1952 is involved in projects in sectors including construction, real estate, property development, logistics, solar power construction, hospitality industry which he said create thousands of jobs. Wang pointed out that his company is also into feasibility studies, project design, project financing, and resource integration capability, among others and is good to go in the partnership with the state in which its individuals are well-known as richest in Nigeria. While an investor from China, Jinnting Mao assured that the expertise of his company in the industrialization of China will be brought to bear in the initiative on project organization, Xiang Ya Song, China Director of Earthwheel (HK) Limited said the company looks forward to a blissful partnership and investment of not less than $10 billion in the State, Song added that the company will leverage on its expertise in abbatoir/agro conglomeration and hopes to take youths out of crime through job creation.
Throwing light on his vision for the Anambra – China Cooperation, the initiator, of the partnership, Destiny Osili expressed happiness with the actualization of the partnership which he revealed took about five years of conviction, adding that the talk has set the stage for the industrialization of the State as the people of state boost of trade which is the required structure for economy to survive. . According to him, the Chinese partners includes major mega industrial and hi-tech facilitators and she’d for provision of an enabling environment for the deal to pull through and make the State move forward. He urged the people of the State to take ownership of the projects, stressing that if all the various presentations by the Chinese delegation and stakeholders are implemented, “Anambra State is made.” Osili called on the people of the State to think home and invest in a bid to contribute meaningfully to the development of the State.
Earlier in his welcome address, Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Forsta Ihejiofor observed that the trade economic partnership in sync with the Soludo administration’s development agenda. Highpoint of the event is the signing of Memorandum if Understanding and appointment of Anambra Team for the Shenzhen Great Bay to drive the process and consolidate on the relationship