By: Nwakaji Peace Martins
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has extended his investment endeavors to Vienna, Austria, where he engaged in high-level discussions with senior government officials, the business community, and international development partners.
During his visit, Governor Mbah signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Austrian government to facilitate the development of Enugu State.
Governor Mbah, with the objective of increasing the state’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion within four to eight years through private sector investments and strategic partnerships, met with prominent figures such as the Austrian Minister of Interior, Gehard Karner; Minister of Labour and Commerce, Martin Kocher; Minister of Agriculture, Norbert Totschnig; Managing Director of Austrian Promotional Bank, Bernhard Sagmeister; Director General of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, Michael Spindelegge; as well as parliamentarians, among others. They expressed their willingness to collaborate with the Enugu State government for mutual benefits.
In a meeting with Austria’s Minister of Interior, Karner, Governor Mbah, and his counterpart agreed to establish partnerships across various sectors, providing opportunities in Nigeria for Austrian small to medium-sized enterprises.
To initiate a productive relationship, Governor Mbah and Minister Karner signed an MoU on behalf of their governments to create a K-9 training unit in Enugu, enhancing security and crime detection.
Governor Mbah’s discussion with the Austrian Minister of Agriculture, Totschnig, focused on implementing an agricultural model region spanning 2,000 to 5,000 hectares, mirroring the successful Austrian cooperative model in Enugu State.
During the meeting with the Austrian Minister of Labour and Commerce, Kocher, Governor Mbah expressed his administration’s readiness to strengthen collaboration between Austrian and Nigerian businesses, particularly in agriculture, hydropower, semiconductor work, and knowledge, potentially leveraging the existing Austrian business presence at the European Business Park, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu.
“Enugu is prepared for business. We are your reliable partner for ventures in Nigeria and a gateway for Austrian businesses seeking to establish a foothold in Africa,” stated Governor Mbah.
The Managing Director of Austrian Promotional Bank, AWS, Sagmeister, mentioned that the bank was already supporting Austrian businesses investing in Enugu State, with a keen interest in exploring additional opportunities to provide guarantees, including credit guarantees from Nigerian banks, for Austrian businesses investing in Nigeria. The bank also aims to aid the Enugu State government in devising innovative strategies for securing foreign funding.
Governor Mbah also visited the Spittelau waste incineration plant, which processes 250,000 tons of municipal waste annually and supplies a significant portion of electricity to power the city of Vienna.
Furthermore, the Austrian Chamber of Commerce invited the Enugu State government to participate in the next Africa Day in Vienna, providing an opportunity to enhance investment prospects by engaging with over 300 Austrian businesses interested in overseas investments and opportunities.
Michael Otter, the Head of International Relationships at the Chamber of Commerce, expressed readiness to collaborate with Governor Mbah for the mutual benefit of Enugu State and Austria.
