Abia State is shifting more of its development burden to private investors, with Governor Alex Otti revealing a pipeline of projects worth about N1.24 trillion already approved for private capital participation.
The strategy is designed to allow the state to pursue major infrastructure and economic projects without depending entirely on government revenue.
The investment pipeline includes N914 billion in joint ventures and another N327 billion in design-build-operate-transfer (DBOT) concessions.
Otti disclosed the figures in Lagos at the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce Meet the Governor Series, where he outlined his administration’s plans to reposition Abia as an investment and industrial hub.
The governor said some of the projects would be flagged off shortly, with market development, power and energy among the areas expected to attract significant private investment.
He said the state was deliberately building the conditions required for investors to commit long-term capital rather than relying on conventional investment-promotion campaigns.
According to Otti, investors want certainty, functioning institutions and projects capable of generating sustainable returns.
“Capital has an extreme aversion to uncertainty,” he said, stressing that security, infrastructure and predictable government policies were critical to attracting investment.
Otti said his administration had therefore prioritised roads and other infrastructure needed to connect business centres and make investment easier.
“We took on long-abandoned roads in our important business hubs and fixed them to announce our intention,” he said.
The governor said hundreds of kilometres of roads had been rehabilitated since the administration came into office, but acknowledged that infrastructure alone would not determine where investors put their money.
He said Abia’s N1.01 trillion 2026 budget, with 80 per cent allocated to capital expenditure, was structured to support development, while internally generated revenue was being used for recurrent obligations.
Private and external capital, he said, would help fund infrastructure and other growth-enhancing projects beyond the capacity of public financing.
During a discussion with Lagos Business School economics professor, Bongo Adi, Otti also pointed to Abia’s entrepreneurial population and growing use of technology as advantages that could attract more investment.
He projected that sustained governance and effective leadership could transform Abia into a globally competitive economy within 10 years.
Earlier, Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce President and Chairman, Abimbola Olashore, said investors needed clear policies, responsive institutions, security, infrastructure and access to markets before committing funds.
He called for stronger partnerships between government and businesses to unlock Abia’s investment potential.