Soludo receives vehicle donation, declares Ukpor “open for business”

Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has received a donation of 10 vehicles from Zenco Group, as he renewed calls for stronger private-sector collaboration in Anambra State’s development.

The vehicles were presented on behalf of the company by its chairman, Cletus Oragwa, during a ceremony where the governor reiterated his administration’s “Open Society” policy anchored on a Public-Private-Community Partnership (PPCP) model.

Soludo said public funding alone would not be sufficient to drive the pace of development the state seeks, stressing the need to mobilise private investment and community participation.

“Public capital alone cannot accelerate development at the pace we desire,” he said, adding that partnerships with businesses and local communities were essential for long-term growth.

The governor also highlighted what he described as a significant security turnaround in Ukpor, a community he said had moved from being a flashpoint for unrest to one of the safest areas in the state.

He linked the improved security to planned economic expansion, announcing that a kaolin processing plant under construction in Ukpor would soon be commissioned. The facility, he said, is expected to create jobs and position the area as a hub for mineral-based industry.

Declaring the community “open for business”, Soludo said the project signalled growing opportunities for investors and reinforced the state’s broader industrialisation agenda.

He commended residents and indigenes of Anambra for supporting the “Think Home” initiative, which encourages investment in local communities, describing such efforts as critical to sustaining development beyond his administration.

Speaking at the event, Ikenna Mbazulike-Amechi, representing Zenco Group, said the donation was aimed at supporting the government’s vision of a “livable and prosperous” state, citing what he called visible progress across sectors.

Senior government officials, including Somtochukwu Udeze, Secretary to the State Government Chiamaka Nnake, Chief of Staff Ben Nwankwo, and Principal Secretary Joachin Anaeto, were also in attendance.