THE IMO ECONOMIC SUMMIT 

The Summit highlights a new approach to governance—one that prioritises opportunity over dependency, contends YAKUBU DATI

At a time when the main news items coming from Africa’s most populous country are terrorism and air strikes while the world is beginning to see Nigeria as a theater of war, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma’s intervention could not have come at a better time.

The governor, rather than join others to brood and lament, has decided to do something positive to prove to the world that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing his best to revamp the economy and put Nigeria on the path towards development.

For the past few weeks, Imo had become the cynosure of all eyes as investors, entrepreneurs, intellectuals, world leaders, and experts converged in Owerri for the economic summit in which the world was invited to view the other side of Nigeria that has been overshadowed by the blight of the recent efforts to dislodge terrorists from the country.

The Imo Economic Summit, championed by Governor Uzodinma, comes as a strategic effort to align sub-national development with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s general vision for the country as contained in the Renewed Hope Agenda.

So it was that for three days, Owerri took center stage in Nigeria’s economic conversation as Governor Uzodinma attracted international investors, development partners, and diaspora leaders to the summit, which drew prominent figures, including Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General; Boris Johnson, former UK Prime Minister; and African leaders such as Joseph Boakai of Liberia and Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, former President of Mauritius.

Nigerian dignitaries, including Vice President Kashim Shettima and Minister of Finance Wale Edun, were also in attendance, alongside business heavyweights like Aliko Dangote. The presence of traditional leaders, including the Ooni of Ife and Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, the Deputy Speaker of the 9th Assembly, added cultural and intellectual depth to the discussions.

The summit has proven that beyond the skepticism lie potential; that beneath the challenges, Nigeria is a success story with promises of a greater future.

Instructively, it has revealed that Nigeria’s pathway to recovery increasingly depends on how states translate national policy into local opportunity.

Key sectors highlighted at the summit included infrastructure, technology, agribusiness, energy, and manufacturing. Uzodinma emphasized the state’s readiness to collaborate with international investors, creating an environment conducive to sustainable growth.

Beyond economics, the summit shattered myths held about Nigeria, that it is a country of particular concern with high insecurity risks that do not entertain investors.

Instead, people saw opportunities, potential, and platforms for trade, commerce, and industry and positioned Imo State as a strategic connector between the South-East, national reforms, and global networks.

Uzodinma’s message at the summit was clear: national economic recovery will only succeed when federal reforms are matched by proactive action at the sub-national level.

This, experts say, is demonstrating a strong belief in aligning with the economic policies at the center, which aim to accelerate development for the country.

By bringing global attention to Owerri, Hope Uzodinma has demonstrated that sub-national leadership, when aligned with national vision, can convert potential into tangible opportunity, setting a new benchmark for state-led economic initiatives in Nigeria.

The summit reflected a conscious shift in Imo State’s economic thinking—from reliance on statutory allocations to a proactive search for sustainable growth driven by investment, productivity, and private-sector participation. For Uzodinma, economic governance is no longer about managing scarcity but about unlocking dormant potential.

With the linking of Imo State to global networks and aligning regional aspirations with national policy goals, the summit has positioned Imo as a forward-looking state that is open for business.

The summit’s alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda was evident in its emphasis on private-sector leadership, ease of doing business, and institutional reform.

The attraction of citizens to attend the Christmas celebrations this year in droves has marked a turning point for a region responding to a leadership with concrete direction.

By bringing the world to Owerri, Hope Uzodinma has taken a decisive step toward translating potential into tangible economic progress.

The Imo Economic Summit highlighted a new approach to governance—one that prioritizes opportunity over dependency. As implementation follows dialogue, the summit stands as a statement of intent: Imo State is ready to convert reform into results and potential into performance.

Gov. Uzodinma has indeed added traction to the transformational leadership of Asiwaju Tinubu for national integration and economic prosperity, and like the Gen-Zs would say, “Hope get doings”.

Yakubudati@gmail.com