How Aba is regaining its charm as commercial hub of Abia State

For years, Aba, the popular Enyimba city and commercial hub of Abia State, lost its glory. Businesses fled as flood took over everywhere.

Transport system collapsed, as there were no motorable roads. Wholesale buyers of Aba-made goods from neighbouring countries stayed away. Everything in Aba went south. Today, life is creeping back to Aba as the state government has intentionally rebuilt the city.

Businesses in Aba are now counting the gains of conducive business environment, as infrastructure has improved in the city and its environs.

Before now, many businesses reeled under poor infrastructure. The markets in Aba were in bad shape; the roads were bad, water-logged, there was perpetual darkness and everything was pointing negative.

Apart from the rehabilitation of roads, the Abia State Government has also flagged off remodeling of all the major markets in the commercial city, starting with Ariaria International, Ahia Ohuru and Eke Oha Shopping Centre, a textile market in the Aba city centre.

This decision, which is in line with the urban renewal programme of the current administration in the state, will also pave the way for the remodeling of the markets to bring them up to modern standards.

Aba, as a commercial hub, hosts some of the biggest markets in the South-East/South-South Zones of Nigeria, which include Ariaria International Market, Ekeoha (Shopping Centre) Market- popular for textile, Ahia Ohuru, which stocks clothing and food items and Eziukwu Market that stocks mostly beverages, cosmetics and stockfish.

These markets host patrons from all parts of Nigeria, the West Coast and Central African countries. However, some structures in these markets were not properly constructed and are now death traps.

Just recently, the Aba business community and residents rolled out the drums to celebrate the achievements of Governor Alex Otti, and particularly the reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road within two years in office.

Port Harcourt Road, though a federal road, is strategic to the economy of Abia State, as it hosts many business clusters, like machine fabricators, automobile part dealers and Orie Ohabiam Electronics Market.

However, this major business corridor in Aba was left to rot for years by previous administrations in the state.

The event tagged ‘Promises Kept Carnival’, was organised by the Aba business community to specifically celebrate the reconstruction of the dilapidated Port Harcourt Road that was abandoned for about 30 years.

Prior to Otti’s intervention, the sorry state of the road, which houses many industries, markets, banks and many creative and fabrication centres, as well as critical state infrastructures, like schools, was deserted.

John Udeagbala, former national president of the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), and chairman of the occasion, said that the entrepreneurs and the Landlords association organised the carnival to show appreciation for the good works of Governor Otti and his team.

“We’re saying thank you, Your Excellency. Your projects in Aba are many, but Port Harcourt Road is dear to us. All those who left Aba are returning. We’re saying that silent gratitude is of no use, so we need to be open to our gratitude.

“We are here in our elements to show open gratitude, because your good works are clear. We thank you so much. True leadership is about value and the ability to put people above personal desire.

“In only two years, we’re seeing results everywhere. We’re here to say a big thank you once more and come to the next election, Abia State will be the first State to record over one million votes. People will show appreciation”.

Alphonsus Udeigbo, president general, Aba Landlords Protection and Development Association (ALPADA) said that ALPADA cannot adequately express their joy.

“Truly, when the righteous reign, the people rejoice. Thank you, our dearly beloved Governor for recovering and rebuilding our lost Port Harcourt Road.

Read also: We are investing in Aba to stimulate Abia economy-Otti

“Abia is the only state in Nigeria where the governed are dancing in celebration of their Governor. For over 30 years, successive governments could not achieve this fit, which you have done within two years of your assumption of office,” he said.

Udeigbo congratulated Aba residents for their support and patience with the site engineers, and thanked God for keeping most of them, who suffered on the road, alive to see the promise kept, urging them to henceforth own the project and avoid any form of sabotage.

Onyeka Udeaja, chairman of the Local Organising Committee, paid glowing tribute to Otti, for breathing back life into the economic activities of Aba, especially the Port Harcourt Road axis, through the reconstruction of the road.

“This carnival of Praise and Thanksgiving is totally devoted to God, who answered the long and secret prayers of His people in Aba, by ensuring first, that you were successful at the 2023 governorship election despite the mountain opposition and thereafter providing you with the requisite skill and godly wisdom for appropriate leadership and statecraft.

“Sir, what we are all witnessing in Abia state in just two years is the evidence of the hand of God upon your life, as it has now continued to be evident to all, even to those who did not believe initially,” Udeaja said.

“There is improvement in infrastructure, especially in road and electricity”, says Innocent Onwukwe, managing director, Ojaic Concept, a male tailoring outfit.

According to him, “Aba Road network has improved. People now drive on good roads unlike before when the roads were deplorable.”

On power, he said that electricity has improved in the city centre and urged Aba Power Limited Electric (APLE), to improve supply in other parts of the city.

Chima Amadi, president, EKUMI Patent Medicine Dealers Association, said that the governor has started dualising Umuode Road, which leads to the market in fulfillment of his promise, noting that the road when completed, would properly link EKUMI Plaza and Ariaria International Market.

For Ken Anyanwu, a shoemaker and national secretary, Association of Leather and Allied Industrialists of Nigeria (ALAIN), there is improvement in roads, while electricity is improving gradually in Aba metropolis.

Ibe Nzenwa, member, Eziukwu Market, Interim management Committee, praised the governor for improving road network around the market.

He also said that patrons from Port Harcourt, Calabar, Uyo, Owerri and other parts of the country now have easy access to the market, because all the routes into the market have been rehabilitated.

“For instance, you can board a tricycle from this market to Omuma, Osusu to Ariaria easily. For those who come from Cross River and Akwa Ibom, it is now easy for them to access this market from Ogbor Hill, through Emelogu-Ngwa Road,” he said.

Uche Ukeje, general manager, Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA), an intervention agency of Abia State Government, set up to remodel Aba and make the commercial city more habitable, affirmed that the plan of the present administration in the state was to restructure Aba to accommodate current and future demands.

He said that GADA was created to ensure that there is a structured development of Aba.

“If you call a market, an international market, it should actually meet international standards,” he said.

According to him, the next plan would be to expand Aba in a structured way to accommodate current and future demands for the next 30 years.

“Already, the governor has started by repairing the fabrics of the city. The medium term is what we are working on currently. We are now trying to expand some to rejuvenate some aspects of the city as we know it today, like the Ngwa Road Market, Ekeoha Market, Ariaria market, the Aba Town Hall, making portable water available for Aba, electricity; we are trying to repair that urban fabric and that is currently ongoing, ensuring that there will be no flooding in Aba.

“We have two plans, the mitigation plan that mitigates the effect of that and the other is a permanent solution that ensures that things like Ifeobara pond, Utatta pond and others disappear and never have an opportunity of recurring in Aba,” he said.