The Federal Government has begun discussions with the Abia State Government on possible support for businesses in Aba’s textile and garment industry as well as the state’s agricultural sector.

The Special Adviser to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment, John Uwajimogu, disclosed this on Wednesday during a meeting with Governor Alex Otti in Umuahia.

Uwajimogu said the visit was aimed at strengthening collaboration between the Federal Government and the state while identifying opportunities for federal projects and investments.

He said the government had recognised Aba’s industrial potential, particularly its concentration of textile and garment businesses, and was considering interventions to address challenges affecting the sector.

According to him, infrastructure and access to finance remain among the major constraints facing businesses in the cluster.

“One of the biggest things that we see coming out of Abia State is the strong industrial capacity in Aba, particularly in the textile and garments sector,” Uwajimogu said.

He added, “We have been thinking of how, from the federal level, we can support the businesses that are working in that sector and have come up with ideas on how we can address some of the biggest binding constraints that they often face, one being infrastructure and the other one being finance.”

Uwajimogu said the Federal Government was also interested in bringing more of its projects and programmes to Abia, adding that the engagement would help identify areash where both governments could collaborate to stimulate economic development.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority, Cornelius Adebayo, said the agency was seeking the state government’s support for its agricultural development plans in Abia.

Adebayo said NALDA’s mandate included using agriculture as a tool for poverty reduction, adding that the agency wanted Abia to participate in its Renewed Hope Mega Farm Estate programme.

He explained that the programme was designed to bring farmers together, provide necessary infrastructure and improve access to security, agricultural inputs and markets while creating sustainable sources of income.

Adebayo expressed optimism that Abia could host a major NALDA agricultural project, including a processing facility, and appealed to the state government to provide suitable land for the initiative.

Responding, Governor Otti said his administration was ready to work with NALDA and other stakeholders to develop Abia’s agricultural sector.

The governor said the state had fertile and arable land capable of supporting the production of crops including cassava, yam, cocoyam, oil palm and cashew despite its relatively small landmass.

Otti said increased investment in local agriculture was necessary to reduce dependence on food imports, noting that food importation also placed pressure on the foreign exchange market.

He said the state would continue to pursue initiatives aimed at increasing local production and strengthening agriculture as part of its economic development strategy.