The Special Adviser on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Mr Anayo Agu, has said that the insinuation that Enugu is a civil servants’ state rather than an investment state is wrong.
Agu stated this on Thursday during the 2022 Enugu Business Summit, initiated by the owner of Amadeo Event Centre, Rev. Ugochukwu Chime, with the theme: “Dare To Be Different”.
The summit was attended by thousands of residents in Enugu, business experts/motivational speakers and business organisations.
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Speaking to the participants, Agu said the state had over one million micro enterprises in place like Anambra and Abia states but regretted that those states are not labelled as “government state” as they tagged Enugu.
According to him, given the number of schools and other SMEs in the state, it is absolutely wrong to call the state “Civil Servant State”.
Agu, a former Head of Enugu SME under former Gov. Sullivan Chime, said the state was rated the most peaceful and therefore a bedrock for business and investment.
He said, “Enugu cannot be a government town when we have a series of industries at the 9th mile area of the state. It is our choice not to market it.
“The state is the safest when we talk of the revenue that flows into the state because of the peace it enjoys.
“Our biggest challenge is the mindset, to get result, we must change the way we do things and there are a lot of potentials in Enugu.
He added that the idea that people cannot grow business in the state should be discarded as business can actually survive and grow in Enugu.
Addressing participants, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUTH), Prof. Edith Nwosu, said people could not achieve their dreams due to certain limitations.
She, however, urged them to look beyond the limitations which she regarded as “Enemy to success”.
Nwosu listed the limitations as nature, self, society and Satan, urging them to live above self and without minding the challenges the society threw on them.
According to her, “our nature and Satan many not allow one to succeed but we must be determined to overcome.
“For you to have a breakthrough, you must know who you are, your purpose in life and are able to acknowledge and identify limitations by developing the right mindset,” she advised.
Contributing, an Entrepreneur, Mr Uche Anieke, said that business is all about building goodwill and trust, stressing that 86 per cent of business customers are based on deferrals.
“I walked to this stage because I have developed certain business trust. Trust is intentionally built and I consider myself as a builder.
“Delivering good service is the key. Challenge yourself to build a good reputation as some people know you in Enugu,” he advised. (NAN)
