UNIDO BUDGETS $50M FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND GROWTH IN THE COUNTRY

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UNIDO has budgeted fifty million dollars for projects aimed at supporting the implementation of Economic Recovery and Growth Plan recently launched by the Federal Government. The Regional Director of the Organization, Mr. Jean Bakole stated this when he led his team on a courtesy call on Governor David Umahi at Government House Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

Mr Bakole who is also the Country Director of UNIDO explained that the Organization in collaboration with stakeholders had designed a five year programme to support states in the implementation of economic development projects. He noted that UNIDO planned to launch Integrated Agro Industrial Park and strengthen the capability of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Ebonyi being one of the States in the country to indicate interest.

According to Mr Bakole, UNIDO will support the State Government in the establishment of one point five megawatts plant to drive a number of agro processing initiatives. Governor Umahi expressed the State Government’s readiness to collaborate with UNIDO and announced one hundred and fifty thousand dollars as seed fund for the implementation of Integrated Agro Industrial Park and strengthening of SMEs.

He explained that the State Government was already developing Industrial Parks in three zones of the state and urged UNIDO to incorporate the structure into its plan. Governor Umahi said the State Government would also collaborate with UNIDO for the installation of three megawatt solar plant to power all shops at the International Market Abakaliki.

AMECHI ODO