The first Made-In-Abia Exhibition taking place at Ibeku High School, Umuahia, is designed to expose the potentials of indigenous innovators and the natural endowments that abound in the state. The exhibition is also aimed at galvanising Abians to pursue excellence.

Permanent Secretary, Government House, Mr. Nkwachukwu Agomoh, dropped these hints in an interview with News Express in Umuahia. The exhibition is being facilitated by the office of the wife of the governor, Her Excellency, Chief (Mrs.) Mercy Odochi Orji.

On parade at the exhibition are agricultural produce, local foods and delicacies, locally manufactured fabrics, traditional wears and other textile materials as well as detergents, amongst others.

The essence of the exhibition, according to Agomoh, is to bring innovation and patriotism to the fore in the state and encourage Abians to have confidence in their ability to manufacture products locally.

“We (state government) are bringing to bear what should be excellence, we are trying to bring Abians to what should be excellence and that is what this administration of Chief T.A. Orji is all about; to bring our people to realising what they have in themselves and shoot from there before we go to the outside world,” Agomoh said.

“It is also to encourage Abians who may not know that some of the products here are Abia products – made, manufactured in Abia,” he added and enjoined Abians to patronise the exhibition.

“It is important that we (Abians) come and show presence in this exhibition. Patriotism does not lie only with playing football. It also lies with aligning yourself with whatever that is your own.

“We have to start with what is our own before we begin to bring in what belongs to others and that is primarily what this fair is trying to exercise,” he further said.

Agomoh praised the wife of the governor for facilitating the exhibition, saying that he was impressed with the range of products and services on parade at the fair.

“I came particularly to see what Abians can do by themselves and I am impressed. I went through some of the pavilions of some of the local governments and I saw that intricately, there are things that belong to us and we have been able to nurture ourselves, manufacture by ourselves and produce by ourselves. So, it is important that people should come and show presence,” he appealed.

•Photo shows Gov. Theodore Orji of Abia State (2nd left) cutting the tape to declare open the first made in Abia Product Exhibition in Umuahia. With from left are Dr. Alex Oti, M.D. Diamond Bank and Chairman of the occasion, Chief Mrs. Mercy Orji, wife of the governor and Sir Emeka Ananaba, Deputy Governor of Abia State.