Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has pledged his administration’s full support to Egyptian pharmaceutical company Utopia as it moves to establish a drug manufacturing plant in the state, a project expected to boost local production, create jobs and position Abia as a pharmaceutical hub in West Africa.
The assurance was contained in a statement issued on July 22, 2026, by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, following a meeting between Governor Otti and a delegation from the Egypt-based firm at the Government House, Umuahia, on Tuesday, July 22.
Receiving the delegation, which was led by Eze Apostle Gift Chibuzor Chinyere, who facilitated the investment visit, and the Chairman of Utopia, Dr. Kamel Mohamed, Governor Otti expressed delight that the company intends to establish a manufacturing facility rather than merely market pharmaceutical products in Nigeria.
“We are very happy with your presentation. And I’m very pleased that you are looking at setting up production plant. Not just sales, because you could as well produce anywhere, sell, make profit and all that.
“But for us as a government, it is important to generate economic activities. And you generate economic activity by production. Because when you set up a production plant, you create jobs.
“Then, you improve the GDP of the State, you reduce poverty. And then you transfer technology, like you said. Even though there is still an argument in the literature whether technology is transferable or not.
“So, you can take it for granted that this government will support you, to set up the manufacturing plant, and from there, you can export to other parts of Nigeria and West Africa,” the governor said.
Governor Otti urged the investors to consider siting the proposed factory in the Ukwa or Osisioma axis of the state, assuring them that land would be made available to facilitate the project.
He noted that the Ukwa corridor offers strategic advantages, including access to gas resources and reliable electricity supplied by Geometric Power, while adding that issues relating to host communities would be coordinated by Eze Apostle Gift Chibuzor Chinyere.
The governor also directed the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, to sustain discussions with the investors and ensure that every necessary government support is provided to fast-track the establishment of the pharmaceutical plant.
Earlier, Eze Apostle Gift Chibuzor Chinyere said he brought the Egyptian pharmaceutical company to Abia because of Governor Otti’s commitment to healthcare development, disclosing that the delegation would also conduct a pilot presentation of its anti-malaria products in the state before departing.
In his presentation, the Chairman of Utopia, Dr. Kamel Mohamed, said the company was seeking a partnership with the Abia State Government to establish a world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing plant.
He explained that Utopia already operates under an existing Memorandum of Understanding between Egypt and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on drug registration, assuring that the investment would significantly strengthen Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry.
“We are coming to add value,” Mohamed stated.
He added that the company aims to make Nigeria a hub for advanced pharmaceutical technology, noting that Utopia has successfully executed similar projects in Tanzania and other countries, while expressing confidence that the Abia collaboration would succeed under Governor Otti’s administration.
The meeting was attended by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche; the Chief Executive Officer of the Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Odochi Azubuike; the Chief Medical Director of the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo; and other senior government officials.
