Business

Aba Commercial Smart City Deepens Global Partnership Drive As Osita Offor Hosts Romanian Investors

Aba Commercial Smart City Deepens Global Partnership Drive As Osita Offor Hosts Romanian Investors

The Director of Aba Commercial Smart City (ACSC), Ambassador Dr. Osita Offor “De Ultimate Commander” (Ikenga Gburugburu of Ohafia Ancient Kingdom), yesterday welcomed a delegation of financial and technical partners from Romania during a strategic meeting held in Abuja. The high-level engagement focused on strengthening international collaboration towards the successful development and implementation of the Aba Commercial Smart City project, a transformative initiative designed to reposition Aba as a modern commercial, industrial, and technology-driven economic hub in Nigeria and West Africa. Speaking during the meeting, Ambassador Dr. Osita Offor reaffirmed the commitment of the ACSC leadership to attracting credible global…
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FG shuts down three Ogun factories over safety violations

FG shuts down three Ogun factories over safety violations

Three factories in the Ogijo area of Ogun State have been shut down due to safety violations. The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, ordered the shutdown of the factories on Wednesday during an occupational safety and health inspection. The companies are African Refractory and Allied Products, African Non-Ferrous Industries Ltd., and Metalworld Recycling Ltd. According to the minister, the companies had consistently disregarded required safety rules despite receiving formal notices dated December 9, 2025. He added that they failed to conduct hazard training and also did not provide Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, for workers. “The factories…
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150,000 Jobs in View as Gov. Otti Backs ACSC with Strong Investor Protection Assurance

150,000 Jobs in View as Gov. Otti Backs ACSC with Strong Investor Protection Assurance

Following the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on February 4, 2026, for the offtake of the Aba Commercial Smart City (ACSC) under the Public–Private Investment Partnership (PPIP) framework, Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has assured investors of the safety and profitability of their investments in the landmark project. The governor urged interested investors to accelerate the realisation of the ACSC by releasing funds into the project, stressing that all investments would be fully protected through transparent governance structures and legally backed guarantees. Governor Otti gave the assurance during a banquet organised in Aba to host investors…
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Gov. Otti Leads ACSC MoU Signing, Signals New Economic Dawn for Abia State

Gov. Otti Leads ACSC MoU Signing, Signals New Economic Dawn for Abia State

For decades, Aba has stood as the commercial engine of the Southeast—an industrial city powered by indigenous ingenuity, craftsmanship, and trade. From leatherworks and garments to metal fabrication and wholesale commerce, Aba’s entrepreneurial energy has remained resilient despite years of infrastructural neglect. Today, that resilience is being deliberately matched with planning, technology, and investment through the proposed Aba Commercial Smart City, strategically located at Arongwa in Aba–Osisioma Local Government Area. Conceived as one of the flagship economic legacy projects of Governor Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, the Aba Commercial Smart City (ACSC)seeks to transform Aba’s largely informal industrial strength into a…
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Abia and Anambra in Focus: A Comparative Assessment of Market Governance and Administrative Performance

Abia and Anambra in Focus: A Comparative Assessment of Market Governance and Administrative Performance

Governor Alex Chioma Otti of Abia State and Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State both emerged from distinguished careers in the banking sector, where strategic thinking, fiscal discipline, and institutional reform are central to success. Their transitions into public office generated widespread expectations that such technocratic expertise would translate into efficient governance, infrastructure renewal, and improved economic management at the state level. Few years into their administrations, however, differences in approach, execution, and outcomes have become increasingly discernible. A comparative assessment of two major commercial hubs—Ariaria International Market in Aba and Onitsha Main Market in Onitsha—provides a practical lens…
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