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VP Shettima: Imo State, A New Growth Frontier In Nigeria’s Economic Diversification Drive
VP Shettima: Imo State, A New Growth Frontier In Nigeria’s Economic Diversification Drive
** Says South East state is primed for technology, gas, agro-industrial and SME-led growth
** Reaffirms goverment’s readiness to de-risk private investments, policy stability under President Tinubu
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima has identified Imo State as a major pillar in Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda primed for rapid growth in technology, gas utilisation, agro-industrial processing and small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).
He said the government is committed to providing access to financing through the Bank of Industry and the Development Bank of Nigeria, alongside structured Public-Private Partnerships in housing, transport, and renewable energy sectors for the state.

Speaking on Thursday at the Imo State Economic Summit 2025 in Owerri, VP Shettima said national prosperity could only be sustained when every state takes ownership of its development and deliberately harnesses its comparative advantages.
“Nations do not rise because one corner of the map ascends while others remain dormant. Nations rise when every part discovers its promise and takes responsibility for its own economic direction,” he said.
The Vice President described Imo’s economic prospects as unmistakable, stressing that the state occupies a strategic position in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reforms aimed at stabilising the business environment and unlocking long-term growth.
According to him, the summit’s theme, ‘Unlocking Imo’s Economic Potential: Partnership, Investment, and Innovation’, aligns with the Federal Government’s reform agenda to build a resilient, competitive and inclusive economy.

“All these possibilities converge to remind us that Imo is not just ready for investment. Imo is primed for transformation,” VP Shettima said.
The Vice President highlighted high-growth sectors capable of driving Imo’s economic resurgence, including the deployment of Free Trade Zones and Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, expanded gas utilisation for households and industry, and the development of robust digital infrastructure to attract ICT firms and fuel a modern, information-driven economy.
Reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to investor protection and confidence-building, VP Shettima assured that the Tinubu administration would continue to de-risk private investments and provide consistent policy direction.
“The Federal Government stands ready to walk with Imo State to unlock opportunities, de-risk promising ventures and ensure that the benefits of development are felt across communities. To investors here today, the message is unmistakable: Imo is open for business. Nigeria is open for business,” he said.
The Vice President said global competitiveness today is shaped by innovation, talent and technology rather than the exploitation of natural resources alone, urging Imo to position innovation at the core of its growth strategy.
He disclosed that the Federal Government is already implementing programmes to empower young innovators, expand digital skills training, strengthen tech clusters, promote STEM education and deepen research partnerships with universities.
“The young people of Imo are creative, ambitious and connected to the global knowledge economy. Our duty is to give them the tools, the platforms and the confidence to build the future that awaits them,” VP Shettima said.
The Vice President added that Imo State could emerge as a technology hub, a major contributor to national GDP, a magnet for the creative economy and a leading centre for SMEs and industrialisation, if partnerships and investments are effectively mobilised.
He challenged stakeholders to shift from dialogue to execution. “Let this Summit not end with good ideas alone. Let it lead to signed partnerships, funded projects and measurable outcomes that uplift lives and create jobs,” he urged.

In his welcome address, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma commended President Tinubu’s intentional reform policies, which he said have reset Nigeria’s investment space.
He noted that Imo State had since keyed into the reforms of the President, with the aim of taking the lead in regional development.
Governor Uzodinma said the state, under his leadership, had since utilized its unique landmass and abundant natural resources in providing the ideal environment for investors and businesses to thrive.
“We are blessed with the largest game reserve estimated at 200 trillion cubic feet. So, for those looking for business in gas exploration and utilization, Imo State is the destination.
“We also have other resources like lead, zinc, crude oil, cotton, etc. The incentives are ready and agriculture is our mainstay as the heartland of Eastern Nigeria. We also boast of the 3rd highest human capital development index in the country,” the Governor stated.
He also coined a meaning for the name of the state, describing it as a place where Investment Meets Opportunities (IMO) and business follows.
On her part, the first female elected President of Mauritius, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, urged Africa to take its place in the global market, pointing out that Nigeria is a power house that should lead the way in that regard.
The former President said there is hope for Africa because Nigeria is rising and giving opportunities to the youth, even as she pledged to bring in investors in renewable energy to invest in Imo.
Also, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Chief Wale Edun, in his goodwill message, said the private sector is key to investment at all levels.
He commended the Governor of Imo State for taking the right steps towards repositioning the state’s economy.
Chief Edun noted that the impact of the Nigerian economy is measurable, saying the economy, under President Tinubu, is growing faster than it was over a decade ago, and that more progress will soon be recorded.
For his part, the 8th Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Mr. Ban Ki Moon, in his keynote address, described the summit as a gathering of great significance.
He said addressing global uncertainties is vital, and initiatives like the Imo Investment Summit will help create a more peaceful society.
Mr Moon noted that Africa holds the key to unlocking most of the challenges the world is currently facing, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Without addressing the challenges Africa is facing, we would not say we have a sustainable world.,” he said, just as he requested for a special technology fund support for the continent.
The former UN scribe stated that implementing the resolutions of the summit will help enhance Imo State’s socio-economic development and help elevate prosperity as well as transform the state into an investment hub.
In his goodwill message, President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, hailed the good policies of the Tinubu administration, which he said provided the right atmosphere for business.
The richest man in Africa urged Nigerian businessmen to continue to invest at home, assuring the Governor Uzodimma that the Dangote Industries “will be one of your biggest investors in Imo.”
Immediate past Executive Vice President of AFREXIM Bank, Mr Benedict Oramah, said Afrexim bank is currently building a multi million dollar facility in Imo State to help support the production and export of quality compliance products for export to the global market.
He commended Governor Uzodinma for opening up the state for business through the Orashi River dredging and special economic zone project.
VP Shettima: Imo State, A New Growth Frontier In Nigeria’s Economic Diversification Drive
News
Ex-NGF Coordinator Onaiwu urges support for NSA security direction
Ex-NGF Coordinator Onaiwu urges support for NSA security direction
By: Michael Mike
A former coordinator of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, has called on the political class across party lines to support ongoing security efforts of the federal government.
Onaiwu in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday noted that insecurity is colour blind, has no party affiliation and was religious neutral, therefore, the need for politicians to eschew partisan slant on security matters.
He cautioned that failure by the political elite to support the fight against insecurity leading to several ungoverned spaces could disrupt elections, stressing that except there is a country, then elections are guaranteed.
The former NGF coordinator particularly commended the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his coordination and strategic efforts in streamlining security policies and engagements in tackling insecurity.
According to him, the recent delivery of military hardware by the United States Government to Nigeria is a demonstration that the NSA was working and his recent foray to the U.S. is yielding the desired results.
“The season requires patriots and this means that irrespective of party affiliations, every politician worth his name needs to support ongoing security efforts as coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
“Insecurity is colour blind, has no party affiliation, it is religious blind and those not respect societal status. Therefore, Nigerians, especially our political class, should lend their support, proffer solutions and galvanise the people to back the government’s security initiatives.
“Only on Tuesday, the federal government received critical military hardware from the United States Government. This is cheering and it shows that the NSA’s recent visit to the United States and the subsequent hosting of delegations in the country is bearing the desired results.
“Also, renewed military and police onslaughts against terrorists and bandits show that the federal government is taking the fight to those who are intent on denying us our peace and well-being.
“The least we can do as citizens is to support the government, provide real time intelligence from our communities and do not engage in fake news on social media against government’s efforts,” Onaiwu stated.
He further called on governors to match the energy of the federal government by supporting the NSA to address the various security challenges in their states as well as continued logistics and equipment to the military and police.
Ex-NGF Coordinator Onaiwu urges support for NSA security direction
News
Court Threatens Contempt Action Against IGP Over Alleged Disobedience in Anozie Abduction Case
Court Threatens Contempt Action Against IGP Over Alleged Disobedience in Anozie Abduction Case
By: Michael Mike
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, is facing possible committal to prison following contempt proceedings initiated over an alleged failure to comply with a Federal High Court order relating to the abduction and disappearance of Mr. John Chukwuemeka Anozie.
The action was instituted by legal counsel to Mr. Anozie’s wife, Mr. Vincent Adodo, who accused the Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of the IGP of willfully disobeying a judgment delivered by the Federal High Court, Abuja, on September 24, 2025.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/865/2025 between Mrs. Nnenna Anozie v. Inspector General of Police, Justice Binta Nyako ordered the IGP to produce for prosecution operatives of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) alleged to have abducted Mr. Anozie from his Lekki residence in Lagos on June 15, 2017.
The court also directed the police authorities to forward the investigation report and legal advice on the matter to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation for appropriate action.
The court further awarded ₦2 million in damages against the IGP for failing to respond to a Freedom of Information request submitted by Mrs. Anozie seeking details of investigations into her husband’s disappearance.
The SARS operatives listed in the judgment include officers attached to the former SARS unit in Akwuzu, Anambra State, who were accused of involvement in the alleged abduction.
According to court documents, despite being served with the judgment in October 2025, the IGP has neither complied with the orders of the court nor paid the damages awarded. This development prompted Mrs. Anozie’s legal team to initiate contempt proceedings by serving the IGP with Form 48 (Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Court Order) and Form 49 (Notice of Committal to Correctional Centre).
The applicant is now seeking an order of court committing the IGP to Kuje Correctional Centre until he complies fully with the judgment.
The motion for contempt has been scheduled for hearing on February 9, 2025, before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force has not issued an official response to the contempt proceedings.
Court Threatens Contempt Action Against IGP Over Alleged Disobedience in Anozie Abduction Case
News
VP Shettima Lauds Massachusetts Tech Institute’s Impact On Global Innovation Ecosystem
VP Shettima Lauds Massachusetts Tech Institute’s Impact On Global Innovation Ecosystem
Urges African entrepreneurs to close ranks to fully harness continent’s huge potentials
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has lauded the transformative impact of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on the global entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem that has raised over $1.5 billion dollars and created over 30,000 direct jobs in 20 years.
He, however, urged African entrepreneurs to close ranks in order to fully harness the continent’s huge potentials, leveraging MIT’s resource mobilization network and job creation opportunities.
The Vice President made the remarks on Wednesday when he received a delegation from Kuo Sharper Foundry Fellowship 2025-2026 led by MIT’s Executive Director for the Kuo Sharper Centre for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship, Dina Sherif, on a courtesy visit at the presidential villa.

Senator Shettima called for unity of purpose among African professionals and entrepreneurs, saying “Africa is the new frontier and future belongs to the continent but its people must unite to transform potentials into tangible results that impact lives and livelihoods.
“Africa is blessed with enormous human and material resources but its people must fuse into one to benefit from the tremendous opportunities that abound across the continent,” he added.

He disclosed that Nigeria President Bola Tinubu is daring to leverage available opportunities to transform the entire economy, noting that “President Tinubu is not afraid of taking bold decisions that will reposition Nigeria’s economy and better the lives of the livelihoods of the people.”
Earlier in her remarks, the leader of the delegation, Sherif, said the delegation was at the Presidential Villa to brief the Vice President on the activities of MIT’s Kuo Sharper Centre for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship, assuring that the Centre is dedicated to “fueling the engine of entrepreneurship across the world”.
She noted that the team was in Nigeria in view of the Kuo Sharper Foundry Fellowship programme, which, according to her, has helped to entrench the spirit of entrepreneurship across the continent.

Sherif underscored the significance of collaboration among African startups, noting that Nigeria is a leading country, as evidenced in the progress recorded by startups across the continent.
She further assured of improved support for African-based startups from the centre through its various initiatives.

Also present at the meeting with the Vice President were the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, and some fellows of the Kuo Sharper Foundry Fellowship 2025 – 2026 Session across Africa.
VP Shettima Lauds Massachusetts Tech Institute’s Impact On Global Innovation Ecosystem
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