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Abia To Become Africa Trade Development Hub, As AFRICANDO Organizers Hail Otti’s Leadership, Security
Abia To Become Africa Trade Development Hub, As AFRICANDO Organizers Hail Otti’s Leadership, Security
Abia State is set to emerge as a major hub for African trade and investment with the proposed establishment of the Africa Trade Development Centre (ATDC), in the state as part of efforts to boost international commerce, strengthen local businesses and create employment opportunities.
The organizers of AFRICANDO 2026, the 27th Annual U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment Conference/Expo, said the decision to host the event in Abia was influenced by the leadership of Governor Alex Otti, improved security and the administration’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for businesses and investors.
The three-day conference, scheduled to hold from November 17 to 19, 2026, in Umuahia, is expected to attract international investors, manufacturers, development partners and business leaders from the United States, Nigeria and other African countries.
Speaking during a Press briefing in Umuahia, ahead of the conference, the Chairman of Abia State Diaspora Commission, Dr Okey Agbara, commended Governor Otti for providing the necessary support to bring the international event to the state.
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Agbara noted that AFRICANDO had been held in different parts of the United States over the years, adding that its arrival in Abia was a demonstration of confidence in the Governor’s leadership.
He explained that the conference would facilitate the establishment of the Africa Trade Development Centre in Abia, as well as, attract the leadership of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), to the state.
According to him, AGOA, a United States government trade initiative enacted in 1998, provides eligible African countries with preferential access to the American market.
He said the initiative, recently reauthorised until 2048, presents enormous opportunities for African businesses, which Nigeria has yet to fully explore.
Agbara expressed optimism that the proposed centre would enable local manufacturers and traders to establish direct business relationships with American companies, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and expanding access to international markets.
He added that Governor Otti had changed the economic trajectory of Abia, expressing confidence that AFRICANDO would become a permanent feature in the state.
Also speaking, the President of the Foundation for Democracy in Africa and Chairman of AGOA Civil Society Organisation, Fred Oladeinde, acknowledged Governor Otti for accepting the proposal to host AFRICANDO 2026 in Abia.
Oladeinde said the conference was part of a broader initiative to use economic freedom to strengthen democracy through the promotion of small and medium-scale enterprises, private sector participation and collaboration between government and civil society.
He explained that the Foundation was working with the Abia State Diaspora Commission and Abia Global Chamber of Commerce to establish the Africa Trade Development Centre, which would serve as a platform for investment promotion, trade facilitation and business development.
According to him, one of the major objectives of the centre is to redirect at least 20 per cent of diaspora remittances from consumption to productive investments.
He observed that Africans in the diaspora contribute significantly to the continent’s economy through remittances and other financial support, stressing the need to channel more of the resources into sustainable business ventures, moving it from consumption to investment.
Oladeinde further disclosed that the conference would leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and AGOA to develop supply chains, create jobs and strengthen trade relationships between African countries and the United States.
He said the organizers were deliberately involving professionals and coaches from the diaspora to transfer knowledge, expertise and international business experience to local entrepreneurs.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Abia Global Chamber of Commerce, James Ogbuka Umekwe, described the proposed establishment of ATDC as the major objective of bringing AFRICANDO to Abia.
Umekwe said Nigeria had not sufficiently maximized the opportunities available under AGOA, noting that the chamber decided to collaborate with the Diaspora Commission and international partners to change the situation.
He expressed confidence that Abia, particularly Aba, would become a major centre for international trade, manufacturing and export, with local products meeting internationally accepted standards.
He explained that the centre would provide training and technical support to local manufacturers on product standardization, packaging and access to international markets.
According to him, the initiative would also promote intra-African trade under AfCFTA, bringing together businesses from West Africa and other parts of the continent.
Umekwe said the conference would increase Abia’s international visibility and position the state as a destination for trade and investment.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Secretary of Abia State Diaspora Commission, Ambassador Rev. Annie Onu, said AFRICANDO would provide an important platform for connecting Abia’s economic potential with opportunities in the diaspora.
She noted that Abia produces several high-quality organic and agricultural products that could compete favourably in international markets if properly harnessed.
Onu said the commission was committed to strengthening the relationship between Abia and its diaspora communities to attract investments and unlock the state’s economic potential.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Legal Matters, Ubani Nkolika Cleopatra, described AFRICANDO as an opportunity to attract foreign direct investment, promote international trade and create employment.
She said the conference would enable Abia to showcase its investment opportunities in manufacturing, agriculture, commerce, technology and infrastructure to international investors.
Cleopatra added that the event would strengthen Aba’s position as an international manufacturing and commercial hub, expressing optimism that Made-in-Aba products would gain wider acceptance and visibility in global markets.
She described the proposed Africa Trade Development Centre as one of the most significant outcomes expected from the conference, noting that it would provide a permanent institutional framework for trade facilitation, investment promotion and the growth of small and medium-scale enterprises.
“AFRICANDO is not just a conference, it is an opportunity that must be explored”, she said, urging the media to publicize the initiative.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Internally Generated Revenue, Dr Emmanuel Okpechi, said the conference aligned with Governor Otti’s commitment to creating prosperity and improving the economic well-being of Abia residents.
Okpechi explained that the administration’s priority was to expand economic opportunities for businesses and individuals before expecting them to contribute more revenue to government.
He maintained that taxation should represent the people’s contribution to the prosperity created by government, rather than become a burden on struggling businesses.
According to him, attracting local and international investors would stimulate economic expansion, create employment and ultimately increase government revenue.
He expressed satisfaction with the interest already shown by small and medium-scale enterprises in participating in the conference.
Responding to questions from journalists, the organizers identified Abia’s strategic location, manufacturing capacity, improving security and the economic reforms of the Otti’s administration as major factors that influenced the choice of the state for the conference.
They explained that Aba’s established manufacturing base, when combined with the industrial and commercial potential of neighbouring South-East states, could create a strong regional economic network.
The organizers also disclosed plans to support micro, small and medium-scale enterprises through training, access to markets, investment partnerships and the development of sustainable supply chains.
They said the proposed business model would explore opportunities to use productive capacity and business assets as a basis for accessing financing, with support from government and international partners.
The initiative, they added, would extend beyond Abia to neighbouring states and other parts of Africa, with opportunities in agriculture, energy, petroleum, education, manufacturing and technology.
They further expressed optimism that collaboration between universities and industries would promote research, innovation and skills development, while strengthening the capacity of local businesses.
The organizers further maintained that the ultimate objective was to make Abia a strategic gateway for African trade, while ensuring that the benefits of the initiative extend across the continent.
Moreso, AFRICANDO 2026, the 27th Annual U.S.-Africa Trade and Investment Conference/Expo, is expected to bring together investors, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, government representatives and development partners from November 17 to 19 in Umuahia.
The event is expected to provide Abia businesses with opportunities to improve their production standards, establish international partnerships and access new markets.
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