The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has canvassed for a multi-stakeholders effort towards locating a cargo airport in the state.
The minister in a statement issued Tuesday by her Chief Press Secretary, Emameh Gabriel, stated this as the state celebrates 32 years of her creation.
She, therefore, urged players in the private sector to invest in the development of infrastructure in the state to boost production and exportation of made in Aba products by at least five times than what is obtainable today.
Onyejeocha noted that the partnership with private investors in auxiliary areas of aviation would not only boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state, but would also create more employment opportunities for the growing number of youths in the state.
She noted: “32 years after the creation of the state by the then military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, the commercial reputation of Aba cannot see its full potentials, until there is a functional airport to transport what’s produced in Aba to the rest of Nigeria and beyond.
“Airport can become the magic wand. We can control the domestic and West African Market by exporting bags, shoes and other products from Aba to conquer the market in West Africa. But that’s only possible through the airport no matter how small it’s.”
The minister stressed that everything produced in Aba had to be transported by road to Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country, adding that with Airport, the challenge of timely delivery would have been solved.
Onyejeocha emphasised that over the years, Aba, the industrial capital of Abia State, South-East Nigeria has been a hub of creativity and manufacturing with thousands of creative artisans doing well.
She said the famous Aba shoe cluster exports almost a million pairs of shoes every week within other African nations.
The minister added: “The industry is huge. So you can imagine its potential. There is no doubt that a well organised, leather and leather products industry could become one of the major items in Nigeria’s export items if the right decision is made and the right thing is put in place.
“There is clearly enormous potential for even greater job opportunities and much higher export proceeds if the value chains in the leather industry is properly annexed.
“Findings have shown that there are over 80,000 players in the leather industry and the industry is said to be estimated at N120 billion. I believe we can raise the bar.”
Onyejeocha said China for instance, produces 12.6 billion pairs of leather shoes annually, while Vietnam produces 760 million pairs; Indonesia produces 660 million pairs; while Italy produces 205 million of the same commodity annually, adding thay nothing stops Abia in from joining the above list.