By CHINYERE Nnaemeka

Imo State is on the rise again when it comes to having an enabling environment where businesses can thrive.

This was the stance of Governor Hope Uzodimma who averred that the state has instituted industrial policies that ensured such.

The governor stated this on Thursday, July 3, 2025 during the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms, SABER Technical and Statewide Townhall Meeting organized by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Finance, Debt Management Office of Nigeria, Nigerian Governors Forum, and funded by World Bank.

The event is a subnational tour and stakeholders engagement geared towards the assessment of States’ reforms on ensuring they have an enabling environment where businesses thrive.

Representing the governor was the Deputy Governor, lady Chinyere Ihuoma Ekomaru who appreciated the organizers of the event for their commitment towards ensuring that businesses are flourishing not just in Imo State, but other States in the country.

She noted that the Imo state government under the Shared Prosperity Administration has instituted lots of reforms in many sectors which includes – Digital Business Registration, Better Land Administration, creating an avenue for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) of over 29, 000 to benefit about N1.4billion through the Federal government loans.

The deputy governor pointed out that they have prioritised efficiency and transparency through the State Investment Promotion Agency, (SIPA), making it easier for business men and women to interact with the Government, which according to her has earned the state government a reward of N6.8 billion from the World Bank in 2024.

She continued that the state government has undertaken many infrastructural development projects; Construction of Roads, Urban Renewal and Rehabilitation of Roads, the establishment of State owned power distribution project, Orashi Electricity Company and Orashi Special Energy Free Zone which will come into operation following the dredging of Orashi River to the Atlantic ocean.

The security of the state she said has greatly improved, restoring the confidence of investors in the state, adding that today, Owerri is considered as the Hospitality Capital of Nigeria because of the vibrant nightlife, robust entertainment businesses, peace in the state and its proximity to all South Eastern and South Southern states.

The educational sector, and the health sector she averred are not left out as there are transformative reforms put in place to ensure it thrives.

Adding his voice, the Commissioner for Finance, and Coordinating Economy, Chuck Chukwuemeka who reiterated all the governor has said, added that for the first time on the SABER programme, that Imo State was one of the four States in the federation that scored 100%, as they met all the reforms required of the States.

This he said earned the state 4 million dollars last year from world bank for the intervention fund mapped out to support States that are improving on easy of doing business.

He opined that it is why a whole lot of investors are coming into the state to do business; the JohnPaul Group, the Hilton Group who are collaborating with the State Government in renovating the Concord Hotel in the state, among others.

He lauded the Governor for the feats, saying that it is his numerous initiatives on creating network of roads, landing light and extension of the runway at the International Cargo Airport in the state, among others that has placed Imo on such pedestrian.

Speaking earlier, the Director of one of the collaborators; PEBEC, Princess Zahrah Mustaphia Audu who addressed the people virtually wished them a fruitful deliberation.

There was Panel Discussion which xayed lots of facts and Reforms that are ongoing in the state, that the citizens are not aware of, best approaches to assessing the information and utilizing it to the people’s advantage.

Daily Nigerian Horn gathered that SABER’s mission to improving Nigeria’s business environment is guided by six Key Performance Indicators, KPls: infrastructure quality, secure and stable environment, transparency and accessibility of information, regulatory efficiency, availability of skilled labor, arid economic opportunity.

These metrics as outlined in the 2023 Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) report, serve as a frarmeork to assessing and enhancing state-level business climates, ensuring sustainable growth and investment across Nigeria.