Agbaja Leaders of Thought, a socio-cultural group in Enugu State, has urged investors to explore opportunities at the 9th Mile Industrial Park in Udi Local Government Area.
They made the call during a press conference on Monday in Enugu to announce the 2025 Agbaja Summit scheduled to be held in Enugu between Nov. 26 and 27.
The Agbaja is made up of Udi, Ezeagu, Oji-River, and Igboetiti Local Government Areas as well as parts of Enugu North, South and East Council Areas of Enugu State.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman planning committee of Agbaja 2022 summit, Rev. Ugo Chime said that the 9th mile area of Agbaja land was an industrial hub for investment where investors could site businesses.
According to Chime, who is a Board of Trustees member, Ninth Mile has the best drinking water in Enugu State and is friendly to visitors and investors in the area.
He added that the area was open for businesses, urging investors to utilize abundant natural resources in the area such as coal and other resources to transform the state.
Chime described Agbaja people as “unique” in their sense of humility, commitment to duty, and selflessness.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Agbaja Summit 2025 Planning Committee, Prof. Chike Anibeze said the summit would boost education and skill acquisition among students in Enugu.
He noted that the way education was being structured made schools to be producing graduates who often lack practical skills, while theoretical knowledge without hands-on experience was inadequate in today’s fast-changing world.
“Thus, education and skills development became the central theme for Agbaja Summit 2025. This will link ancestral wisdom with modern training to prepare our people for a competitive future.
“The summit will be more than a conference as it will build on the successes of the maiden edition held in 2022 and rooted in heritage.
Anibeze added that the submit would reimagine leadership, inspire innovation, and chart a dignified future for Agbaja people.
“Apart from education, the other thematic development areas identified in 2022 are yielding good results. Each of them is being pursued with zeal,” he said.
According to him, the summit will feature a hybrid colloquium focused on education and skill development as experts will lead conversations, workshops, and hands-on sessions.
“Along side, will be the Aspiring Entrepreneurs Workshop and Exhibition, offering a dynamic platform for innovation and capacity building.
“There will be masquerades, music, dance, food, and attire showcasing the richness of Agbaja identity. It will be a vibrant celebration of who we are.
“Our coming together has ramifications for the economic, socio-cultural, and political advancement of our people,” he stressed.
The Senator representing Enugu West in the National Assembly, Chief Odita Ngwu and the former Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mrs Cecilia who hail from Agbaja, thanked the leaders of thought for their selfless sacrifices and initiating the summit.
They urged them to reach out to sons and daughters of the land to invest in and transform the area.
They promised to support them and charged them on peace and unity of the land.
NAN/Shakirat Sadiq