The UK and Enugu State governments have decided to partner for mutual economic benefits.
The ruling was made when British High Commissioner to Nigeria Richard Montgomery visited Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah at Enugu Government House on Tuesday.
Mr. Montgomery, during the visit, expressed his support for the new administration’s drive for investment and economic growth in the state.
He recalled that the UK had partnered with the Enugu government for more than 20 years on issues such as public health sector reforms, education and electricity sector reforms, among others.
“So, we are interested in continuing that partnership. I have been reading the press and the ways you have been looking to already put your stamp on the reforms and your ambitions for the state.
“I am here to listen, learn and understand more about your priority and that of your new government to explore areas of greater collaboration,” he said.
“We really hope that the South East and Enugu State will see more opportunities coming from the economy in the coming years.
“There may be some short-term pressures and volatility to manage, but we can see the prospects for further growth for Nigeria.
“The UK is very interested in exploring trade and investment partnerships and I have come to Enugu to understand their agenda and to explore those areas of potential partnership in the future,” Mr. Montgomery added.
In response, Mr. Mbah told the British High Commissioner that the state was eager to regain its pre-eminent place in Nigeria’s economic development.
“We have also shared an ambitious vision with the people of Enugu State about where we could go in terms of our economy. One of the things we told you is our ambition to transform Enugu to become a premier destination for investment, business, living and tourism. And we also have plans to eradicate poverty in the state, which is currently higher than the national average,” the governor said.
“That is why your visit to us today is quite remarkable because we believe that it is not a journey that we can take alone. We need alliances. We need collaborations to achieve it. Interestingly, we have a history of association with the UK, as you have mentioned,” she stated.
Mr Mbah also sought technical assistance from the UK government as well as the restoration of the UK Visa Facilitation Center in Enugu to boost trade, business and other relations between the UK and the state.
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“I have told you about some of the historical roles that Enugu has played in the history of the south and there could be no better place to locate a visa facilitation center than Enugu. So we hope that will boost trade, investment and cooperation between the UK and our state,” he said.
The Governor also sought technical assistance from the UK Government in the areas of energy to develop and build the Enugu electricity market and the consequent regulatory commission, as state governments have been allowed to generate their own electricity.
“We are also interested in the private sector led green economic transformation where we obviously believe we can engage in renewable energy so that most of our catchment power requirements can be served. Therefore, the emphasis is on technical assistance and support,” Mr. Mbah said.
He also requested support from the UK government to develop Enugu State as a “special agri-allies” processing zone in line with his administration’s manifesto and the Nigerian government’s recent listing of the state for that purpose.