Four new industries are gearing up to begin operations in Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria’s South-South under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

The industries – Water Purification Chemicals, Fertilizer Blending, Animal Feed and Feed Mill –are to be sited at Industrial Layout, Oku Abak in Abak Local Government Area in fulfillment of the promise byGovernor Godswill Akpabio to site industries in local government areas of the state. The industries are scheduled tocommence operations in September this year.

The Akwa Ibom Government,represented by the Akwa Ibom Investment and Industrialisation Promotion Commission (AKIIPOC), has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States of America-based Greenwell Technologies Limited for the establishment of the industries.

Disclosing this at a public function at Ibom Hall grounds, Uyo, Governor Akpabio hoped the industries would promote the state economy and generate employment opportunities for Akwa Ibom people.

The governor used the opportunity to highlight some of his administration’s achievements. These, he said, include “tarring of over 305 roads with four flyovers and leaving our state with one of the best road networks in our country; completing the first phase of the Ibom International Airport (which we met at site-clearing stage) and embarking on the Second Phase which targets the completion of the MRO and other components; and constructing over 4,000 Inter-ministerial projects with each of our 31 local government areas having over 100 such projects commissioned in its area.”

He also mentioned “the Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Centre (which comes with a five star hotel, an international conference centre, a galleria, a wet and dry park, and a shopping mall is nearing completion).”

“We also have Ibom Industrial City, a self-sustaining city with oil and gas support services and a deep seaport; and the Twentieth Anniversary Specialist Hospital, among others,” the governor added.

•Photo shows Governor Akpabio.