Enyinnaya Appolos - Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Abia yesterday announced a major business agreement struck between the South-eastern state and China.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu inspecting the shoe factory
Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has brokered a $1.5B project for the establishment of a Shoe Industry in Aba, the commercial nerve Centre of Abia State from Huajian Shoe Industry in Dongguan, Guangzhou, China.
Governor Ikpeazu, according to a press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Enyinnaya Appolos, secured the agreement during a meeting with Mr. Zhang Huarong, Group Chairman of the Huajian Group in the course of his official visit to China for the 1st Nigeria-China Governors Investment Forum.
The Abia-Huajian Shoe Industrial City, which will be located in Aba will have capacity to produce 5,000 shoes per day and employ about 10,000 people directly and indirectly.
Abia State Government will provide the land and other investment incentives for the project while the Huajian Group will fund the entire project.
Mr. Huarong, who noted that Governor Ikpeazu was the 1st Nigerian Leader to visit him, disclosed that the Huajian Group was already employing 6,000 staff and is currently developing a 250 Acre Industrial City in Ethiopia and expressed his eagerness to come to Nigeria.
Huajian Group currently employs about 20,000 staff in China and operates a 10,000 shoes per day Factory in Dongguan valued at $2B.
Mr. Huarong assured that he will visit the Governor in Abia before the end of April 2017 for further discussion on the project.
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