Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, yesterday, intensified efforts to grow the economy of the state with a call on Indonesian businesses and investors to take advantage of the numerous investment opportunities, improved business environment and ample Returns On Investment (ROI) in the state.

Mbah made the call while delivering a keynote address at the 2023 Nigerian-Indonesian Investment and Trade Forum, which opened in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, yesterday.

Meanwhile, at the occasion, the governments of Nigeria and Indonesia pledged closer collaboration to boost trades and investments between both countries for their mutual prosperity.

Speaking at the event organised by the Nigerian-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI), in collaboration with the Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre, Lagos, Mbah, while commending the growth of trade volume between Nigeria and Indonesia to $4.7 billion, observed that both countries could do much more, especially considering the abundant opportunities offered by Enugu State.

The governor, whose speech at the event was monitored by The Guardian, listed investment opportunities in the state, spanning agriculture, mineral resources, logistics, aviation, tourism, real estate and ICT, among others.

He said: “In the area of agriculture, Enugu is blessed with 10 per cent arable, fertile land with a high factor of productivity and good access to both surface and subterranean water that makes year-round agriculture possible.

“The state is climatically disposed to the production of key produce like cassava, oil palm, cashew, spices of various types.

“These areas offer not only the opportunity for primary agricultural production, but also the opportunity to invest in industrial facilities to add value to these produce for local consumption, as well as export.”

“The state is also blessed with significant deposits of minerals. In the area of petroleum, it has proven deposits of oil; but more importantly, it has extensive deposits of natural gas.

“Other minerals within the state include coal, gold, kaolin, gypsum, clay, and limestone, among others. This makes Enugu ideal not only for mining, but also for the siting of key industries.”

He further stated his administration’s target to grow the state’s economy from the current $4.4 billion to a new level of $30 billion. Mbah stressed that this would be anchored on extensive private sector investment, utilisation of strong local and international partnerships.