(Abia State Governor, Alex Otti. Photo by TVC NEws)
Abia State Governor Alex Otti says his administration is shifting the state from conventional trading to digital commerce, stressing that the future of global business lies in technology and digital delivery.
He said this on Monday in Umuahia at the Igbo Day Lecture and Dinner organised by Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, themed The Igbo Charter and Development of Ala Igbo.
Otti said Abia and Ndigbo, long known for trading, are now deliberately turning to manufacturing and technology driven commerce.
Speaking on worries about Chinese traders competing with Igbo businesses in Lagos retail, he said Abia is leaving that level of trading behind.
Markets still matter, he said, but the state is moving from marketing to manufacturing.
He added that the government is backing manufacturing and digital delivery and is leaving the physical store for online sales, saying the Alibaba model is exactly where the state is headed.
Otti said digital commerce will let Abia business owners compete worldwide instead of relying on physical markets.
He said the change will start in Abia, which will do both manufacturing and trading, and warned that those who refuse to embrace it risk being left behind.
He said the government is investing heavily in digital skills for young people, and that some Abians trained under the TechRise programme already work for global tech companies from Aba.
Otti promised support to the Ohanaeze President-General and called the theme Njiko Ka, meaning Unity is Supreme, a fitting one that shows the value of unity in diversity.
He said his government has laid a solid foundation for the state and promised more transformation ahead.
