Gov. Godswill Akpabio is expected to be the “Distinguished Keynote Speaker’’ at the Akwa Ibom Economic Summit and Investment Expo 2012 scheduled for Houston, U.S. between Aug. 3 and Aug. 4.
A statement made available to the North America Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York on Sunday by the state’s indigenes in diaspora, noted that Akpabio was zealous to make the state a major industrial hub in the Gulf of Guinea.
“There is no doubt that he (Akpabio) is zealous for an indepth industrialization reform, having started to put in place an enabling environment to make the state a major industrial hub in the Gulf of Guinea,’’ the statement said.
It explained that the summit would be an opportunity for networking with key government officials and to explore investment opportunities in the state.
The statement also said that the indigenes would celebrate the state’s Silver Jubilee as part of the summit, which would also be replicated in London from Oct. 12 to Oct. 13.
According to the statement, recent statistics have established that average returns on investment in Africa was the highest, compared to other regions of the world.
It also quoted Clement Ikpatt, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor as saying that the government’s policy thrust was to encourage a private sector-led industrialisation to stimulate the expansion of domestic production of goods and services.
It also includes the creation of employment and promotion of a technology-driven economy. (NAN)