Otti hails Aba’s comeback as Ultimum Beverages opens $35m plant
Governor Alex Otti has declared that Abia State is entering a new era of economic revival, as he commissioned a major manufacturing facility by Ultimum Beverages in Osisioma, describing the development as proof that “what was once a dream has now become reality.”
Speaking on Wednesday at the formal launch of the plant located in the Osisioma Industrial Layout, the governor painted a picture of resurgence for Aba, long regarded as a commercial nerve centre in southeastern Nigeria.
“The season of harvest is arriving, the Promised Land is in sight and what was once a dream has now become reality, our reality,” Otti said. “Abia is rising; we are blessed to be witnesses to the marvel of the mind, the infinite reach of the human vision and the wonders of resilience. Aba is alive again.”
He pointed to the return of businesses and investors to the Enyimba economic corridor as tangible evidence of renewed confidence in the state’s economy.
“Aba is alive again; the proof is in the return of investors and businesses to the extended Enyimba economic corridor, the land of big dreams and miracles,” he added.
The governor commended the Kadji Group, investors behind the project, for committing over $35 million to the facility, with plans to scale investment to $100 million.
“By committing over $35m to build a state-of-the-art production facility and pledging to increase this to $100m here in Egbeluowor, Osisioma Ngwa LGA… today’s event offers the ultimate validation to our position that indeed, the phoenix has risen from the ashes of its ruins,” he said.
Otti revealed that the group acted on his earlier advice to consolidate operations in Aba rather than spreading investments across multiple locations.
“I am glad to learn that the Kadji group took my advice last year to consolidate this project in Aba and supply the whole country from here rather than setting up two or three other factories,” he stated, adding, “You will reap the benefits of scale and reduced fixed cost by this decision.”
He also praised the speed of execution, noting that “it took just 10 months to set up this factory.”
Highlighting the broader economic implications, the governor said the project signalled that Abia’s reforms were yielding results.
“The roll out of products from this expansive facility is more than the actualisation of a dream; it is the irrefutable evidence that we are headed in the right direction,” he said.
Otti stressed that the state’s strategy since 2023 has been to rebuild its business climate quietly.
“All we have done since May 2023 is simply to reset the business ecosystem — to make the entire State attractive to genuine investors,” he said.
He listed improved security, infrastructure upgrades and human capital development as key drivers of the transformation, adding that serious investors were more concerned with fundamentals than publicity.
“Beyond TV adverts and imposing billboards on busy highways, profitable investments are oftentimes a function of what happens behind the scenes,” he noted.
The governor used the occasion to invite more investors to the state, declaring, “This is the time to move to Aba, to make the most of the opportunities opening here and become part of a true success story.”
He revealed that 80 per cent of the state’s budget is being channelled into capital projects, with ongoing efforts to tackle infrastructure deficits.
“It is not for nothing that we are committing 80% of our entire budgetary outlay to capital projects,” he said, noting that issues such as poor roads and inadequate electricity supply were being addressed.
Otti assured potential investors of the state’s competitive advantages.
“Investing in Abia… offers a litany of advantages; lower production costs, access to local and regional markets and guaranteed support from the government are only but a few,” he said. “My message to everyone seeking security and good returns for their investments is to look no further than this place.”
While celebrating progress, the governor urged residents to protect public and private investments from vandalism and support development efforts.
“This is the time for the collective ownership of every investment made in our communities,” he said, warning against “vandals, obstructionists and other groups whose activities are inimical to the accelerated development of our State.”
He noted that host communities would benefit directly through jobs and economic opportunities, adding that infrastructure such as access roads had already been upgraded to support the new factory.
“As I promised in 2023, our ultimate goal is to create the right environment for businesses to thrive such that our young people will no longer be forced to flee in droves to other places just to find jobs,” Otti said.
The governor also emphasised the role of taxation in sustaining development, describing it as a shared contribution to prosperity.
“Taxes in our philosophy represents government’s share of the prosperity that it helped to create,” he said, urging residents to fulfil their obligations to enable further infrastructure expansion.
Concluding, Otti reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting investors and expanding the Aba industrial corridor.
“If there is any lesson for all of us from this event, it is the fact that investors are not interested in noise; they go where the future is brightest and as at today, there is no better place to invest than Abia,” he declared.
