The Nigeria Infrastructure Corporation has expressed readiness to partner the Abia government.

The corporation’s managing director, Lazarus Angbazo, said this on Thursday when he visited Governor Alex Otti of Abia in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South LGA.

Mr Angbazo said the corporation “is a government-backed, privately managed infrastructure vehicle” designed to complement infrastructure development.

According to him, the corporation’s mandate covers power, energy transmission, agriculture and industrialization.

He expressed the corporation’s desire to participate in the government’s agenda to rebuild Aba into a leading industrial hub.

Mr Angbazo commended the Abia governor for his leadership style and added that it has brought credibility to governance.

The Abia government says it is willing to collaborate with the corporation in some critical economic areas, including agriculture and power.

Mr Otti said the Abia government would engage further with the Corporation to enhance power supply to all parts of the state. He said the government was working with Geometric Power Limited on the possibility of using excess power from the Aba Integrated Power Project (AIPP) to boost the power supply in Umuahia and its environs.

He added that the engagement with Geometric Power Limited had received positive attention.

Mr Otti pointed out that ”governance is about partnership” and that the government was deliberate about what it wanted to achieve.

The governor said, “So, for us, we feel we need to attract as many partners as possible, that is why we are deliberate in infrastructure. We know that when you secure the place and provide infrastructure, then investors will come.

“The area of agriculture is very critical to our strategy and we want to engage further on that, just like power, less than 40 megawatt coming from Geometric today to Aba has changed a lot of things.

“Also, if, from what we hear, the second turbine is fully commissioned, then you will be talking about 80 to 90 megawatts. So the story will be changed.”

He restated the government’s commitment to improve power and provide a conducive environment for businesses to thrive in Abia.

Mr Otti added that efforts were being made to solve the power problem in the remaining eight Local Government Areas that were not captured in the AIPP.

(NAN)