- ● Ferdy Agu
The Government of Denmark has expressed its readiness to expand its business interests in Enugu State, emphasizing its enthusiasm for partnering with the state in key economic sectors and other areas of mutual benefit.
A Danish government delegation and business representatives, led by the Consul General of the Royal Danish Embassy in Nigeria, Jette Djerrrum, made this known when they met with the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, at Government House, Enugu, on Monday.
Djerrrum, who also serves as the Head of Trade at the Danish Embassy in Nigeria, said Denmark’s interest in Enugu was driven by shared values such as transparency, accountability, and inclusivity. She noted that Governor Mbah’s speech at the 34th anniversary of the reunification of East and West Germany, held in Lagos in 2024, reinforced Denmark’s resolve to collaborate with the state.
She emphasized that despite negative perceptions about Nigeria, Enugu State stood out as an example of the many positive developments happening in the country.
“People Google all the bad stories, but we want them to know the good stories too; to say this (Enugu State) is also Nigeria, and this is where good people build trust and work with transparency, accountability, and traceability,” Djerrrum stated.
She further stressed that Denmark and Enugu share similar priorities, particularly in governance and economic transformation.
“I am here to understand what is important for Enugu. They (Denmark and Enugu State) have similarities. Transparency, accountability and transformation are important values for Enugu. They are also important values for Denmark. Inclusion, diversity, and equality at all levels for everybody also,” she said.
Commending Governor Mbah’s development initiatives, she listed some of the areas that had impressed the Danish delegation, including education, agriculture, waste-to-energy transformation, logistics, and healthcare.
“What we hear as music from the governor is the focus on children, the focus on our young people. The Smart School initiative, which is really impressive. The agriculture value chain. The waste and the waste-to-energy transformation. All the logistics initiatives that are going on. The international airport, the cargo space, and the healthcare projects that are also being driven by the governor. We are really impressed,” she said.
Djerrrum noted the pace of development in Enugu and the need for Denmark to act swiftly in deepening its engagement with the state.
“We now need to be fast because things really move fast here in Enugu. We are here to figure out how we can help to improve on them more. We have Danish companies here. We have the group that is supplying the first tractors. We have a new tractor assembly centre. So, how do we get more Danish companies to come here, establish themselves and work together with Enugu citizens? That’s why we’re here,” she explained.
Speaking on Denmark’s areas of expertise, she identified renewable energy and agriculture as key sectors for collaboration with Enugu.
“We come from a country of waste to power, wind and solar energy. We know you cannot do it in a day, but we would like to know how to support the process, and then capacity building,” she said.
She further noted that agriculture presented immediate opportunities for partnership.
“The low-hanging fruits will be in agriculture because that is what we do. That will also include logistics and so forth,” she concluded.
In response, Governor Mbah reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment, de-risking investment, and providing incentives to investors through offtakes. He described the visit by the Danish delegation as a significant boost to his government’s plan to grow Enugu’s economy sevenfold to $30 billion within six years.
“We have already signed an agreement with the Danish company, ODK Group, and that agreement is going to see us procure tractors from them. What is also interesting is that they are also willing to have their assembly plant here. But we feel that this is just an entry point,” Mbah stated.
He highlighted Enugu’s vast agricultural potential, noting that over 300,000 hectares of land had been secured for agricultural projects.
“We also have over 300,000 hectares secured as landbank for agriculture. So, just as Denmark, agriculture is also our lifeblood. Forty percent of our economy is predicated on agriculture,” he said.
The governor also outlined his administration’s strategy to boost agricultural productivity through the establishment of Farm Estates and Special Agro-Processing Zones.
“We equally have an initiative that we are implementing now called Farm Estate, which is across the 260 electoral wards in Enugu. So, each ward is going to have a massive expanse of land that is going to be access-controlled,” he noted.
He further explained that the agro-processing zones would serve as industrial hubs for agricultural manufacturing.
“We also plan to create value on those products. So, we are setting up Special Agro-Processing Zones that will come up soon. This is going to be a one-stop shop for manufacturers where you will have everything you need to have for manufacturing, like water, access roads, electricity, even the houses and the warehouses. You just plug and play,” he explained.
Governor Mbah also detailed the state’s investment in livestock production and called for further collaboration in that area.
“In livestock, we are investing hugely, and we are also looking for partnership in that regard. We have secured about $20 million for investment in livestock. We are working on a massive ranch; we expect that ranch to take over 20,000 cows,” he added.
Beyond agriculture, he identified tourism, healthcare, logistics, and aviation as other key areas of investment, inviting Danish investors to explore opportunities in these sectors. GMTNewsng
