Governor Obiano, 3rd left, during a pre-commissioning visit to the Mall in Onitsha

Governor  Willie Obiano of Anambra on Thursday called on investors to key into the friendly business environment created by his administration and invest in the state.

Obiano made the call while inaugurating a shopping mall (Shoprite) in Onitsha, valued at N6 billion. It was the first to be opened in the state. A second mall is being built at the capital in Awka.

The Onitsha project which started in 2013 is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the State Government and African Capital Alliance.

The governor, who urged residents of the state to patronise the mall, disclosed that a special security arrangement had been put in place to ensure 24-hour security.

He also said that construction work from some areas near Onitsha, leading to the mall had commenced to ease traffic at the mall.

The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, said that although the project was embarked upon by the immediate past administration, the present administration had spent more than 60 per cent of the total cost.

Chukwulobelu assured that the Shoprite mall under construction in Awka would also be inaugurated soon.

Also speaking, the Director of African Capital Alliance, Mr Osita Okonkwo, said that the project would provide jobs for over 1,000 people.

Okonkwo said that about 70 per cent of small-scale products to be at the mall would be sourced within the state.

“This is a shining example of what can be achieved between private and public partnership.”

He noted that the project had resulted in the upgrading of power lines and roads in the area.

Urging people to take advantage of opportunities offered by the mall, Okonkwo commended the government and people of the state for welcoming the investment.

In an interview, the Chairman of the South East Traders Association, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo, described the outfit as an attestation of the investment friendly policy of the State Government.

Ezenwankwo said the mall would attract more opportunities for citizens of the state and serve as an alternative to various markets in Onitsha.