Photo: Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma
The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, has stated that the state is expecting a gain of $1tn from the forthcoming Imo Economic Summit, according to a statement on Monday from the Chief Press Secretary/Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Oguwike Nwachuku.
According to the statement, Uzodimma disclosed this while speaking at the Government House Banquet Hall, Owerri, after the Feast of Christ the King. The governor also disclosed his administration’s plan to launch the economic agenda with the hosting of the Global Economic Summit and Tourism Revival Projects.
Photo: Owerri
Uzodimma also announced an ambitious slate of economic and cultural initiatives aimed at repositioning Imo State as a major national and international hub, including a World Investment and Economic Summit set to host prominent global leaders.
He frowned at those constituting obstacles to the ongoing Light Up Imo Project, noting that such obstacles will not deter his government from linking the state’s electricity infrastructure to the national grid.
“We cannot spend billions on power infrastructure and fail to distribute electricity to our people. By next week, we will take decisive steps,” the governor said. Uzodimma expressed gratitude for public support and emphasised the importance of unity and collective progress. “When we eat and work together, our blessings come faster,” he said.
He highlighted that the Investment and Economic Summit to be held the first week in December in the state capital is intended “to build $1tn economy in Imo State; and the event will be hosting former Secretary General of United Nations, a former British Prime Minister, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a couple of African Heads of State and leaders.”
“It is a thing of joy, we want to announce Imo State to the world,” Uzodimma stressed. He further revealed that the state will host the Ahiajoku Lecture Series at the month’s end, adding that the Ahiajoku Lecture Series remained a cultural legacy established by former Governor Sam Mbakwe.
Describing the festival as one of the tourist indicators of Imo State’s economy, the Governor maintained that his administration is doing everything to rehabilitate and promote the festival as a long-term tourism asset.
“This monument will be one of the key tourist indicators of our state economy,” he noted, urging citizens to participate. Ideas rule the world, and we are ready to rebuild the circle of excellence our state once represented,” Uzodimma said.
The governor explained that insecurity and political interference had previously delayed these lofty initiatives. He criticised individuals who vandalised public property, including a recent incident involving an unauthorised alteration of a government-built roundabout.
“Government property is not anybody’s property; conduct is part of success. We must begin to behave ourselves as responsible citizens,” he warned. The governor outlined ongoing efforts to rebuild Imo’s public sector, emphasising that prosperity depends on functional public schools, hospitals, transportation systems, and infrastructure.
He noted that even substantial wage increases cannot compensate for the high cost of private healthcare and schooling, making government services essential for affordability. “If our schools and hospitals work, a civil servant can run a household comfortably,” he said.
On the ongoing Light Up Imo Project, he vowed to confront any federal-level political obstacles preventing the state from connecting its completed power infrastructure to the grid.
The governor urged citizens to prioritise the state’s collective interest over personal or political differences, calling on residents to stand together for the future of the state.
