Uzodimma Targets $1trn Imo Economy

ony Icheku in Owerri

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma has announced an ambitious economic agenda targeting N1 trillion economy in the State as he unfolded details for the hosting of Global Economic Summit and Tourism Revival Projects from December 4th and 5th, 2025 in Owerri.

Uzodimma, speaking at the weekend, in Owerri, after the Feast of Christ the King, stated that the economic and cultural initiatives would reposition Imo State as a major national and international hub with plans for scheduled World Investment and Economic Summit that would  host prominent global leaders.

The Governor also sent warning signals to those constituting themselves as obstacles to the ongoing Light Up Imo Project, noting that such obstacles would not deter his government from linking the State electricity infrastructure to the national grid.

We cannot spend billions on power infrastructure and fail to distribute electricity to our people. By next week, we will take decisive steps, the Governor said.

Uzodimma expressed gratitude for public support and emphasised the importance of unity and collective progress.

When we eat and work together, our blessings come faster, he said.

He disclosed that the Investment and Economic Summit was intended to build a N1 trillion economy in Imo State; and that the event would play host to the former Secretary General of the United Nations, the immediate past Prime Minister of Britain, Boris Johnson; President Bola Tinubu and a couple of African Heads of State and leaders.

It is a thing of joy, we want to announce Imo State to the world, Uzodimma stressed.

He further revealed that Imo State would host the Ahiajoku Lecture Series between November 27th  and 28th, 2025.

The Ahiajoku Lecture Series, he said, has remained a cultural legacy established by former Governor Sam Mbakwe.

Describing the festival as one of the tourist indicators of Imo States economy, the Governor said that his administration was doing everything to rehabilitate and promote the festival as a long-term tourism asset.

This monument will be one of the key tourist indicators of our State economy, he noted, urging citizens to participate.

Ideas rule the world, and we are ready to rebuild the circle of excellence our state once represented, he added.

The Governor explained that insecurity and political interference had previously delayed these lofty initiatives.

He criticised individuals who vandalised public propertyincluding a recent incident involving an unauthorised alteration of a government-built roundabout.

Government property is not anybodys property. Conduct is part of success. We must begin to behave ourselves as responsible citizens, he added.

The Governor outlined ongoing efforts to rebuild Imos public sector, emphasising that prosperity depends on functional public schools, hospitals, transportation systems, and infrastructure.

He noted that even substantial wage increases cannot compensate for the high cost of private healthcare and schooling, making government services essential for affordability.

If our schools and hospitals work, a civil servant can run a household comfortably, he said.

On the ongoing Light Up Imo Project, he vowed to confront any federal-level political obstacles preventing the State from connecting its completed power infrastructure to the grid.

The Governor urged citizens to prioritise the States collective interest over personal or political differences, calling on residents to stand together for the future of Imo State.