Akwa Ibom State was the highest contributor to the Sovereign Wealth Fund in the country for 2013, it has been revealed.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Investment Authority (NSIA), Mr. Uche Orji, made the revelation when he and his team paid Governor Godswill Akpabio a courtesy visit at Governor’s Office in Uyo. He hinted that Akwa Ibom Government contributed the highest to the fund, particularly counterpart funding.

Mr. Orji said they were in Akwa Ibom to partner the state government and invest in the state as well as be a part of the uncommon transformation of Governor Akpabio, hinting that the authority invests in real estate, agriculture, power and seaport, among others.

Responding, Akpabio said the state has an available perimeter of investments for investors. “Investors are welcomed to the state to invest in any areas of their choice because Akwa Ibom state has an available perimeter of investments for investors,” he stated.

Continuing, the governor said: “We have made remarkable achievements in the last seven years of my administration and we have reaped the dividends of democracy. We had to invest not only on infrastructure but to also invest on human capacity building, which we did that through our free and compulsory education policy, where every Nigerian child resident in the state goes to school free. And we have also built about 3,000 classroom blocks and equipped schools with adequate facilities.

“We also constructed quality road network in the state; we are already building 2,000 units of housing; we are already building a 4/point by Sheraton Hotel in Ikot Ekpene; we have finished the Ibom power plant, which would be commissioned soon.

“We would soon take off the construction of Ibaka deep seaport and in total we have about 14 industries in the state, among others. So, the NSIA is welcome to invest in any areas of their choice in the state and we would be willing to partner with them.”

•Photo shows Gov. Akpabio receiving the Annual Report of Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Investment Authority from its MD/CEO, Mr. Uche Orji, at the Governor’s Office, Uyo.

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