Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex C. Otti, OFR, has approved in principle a deeper partnership between the Abia State Government and Ethnocentrique Limited to scale up fashion manufacturing, develop specialised skills and position the state as a globally competitive fashion production and export hub.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Chief Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, following a working visit to Governor Otti by the Chief Executive Officer of Ethnocentrique, Mrs. Irunna Ejibe, and her delegation.
According to the statement, Otti gave the approval during the meeting at his office, where he expressed support for moving the state’s fashion industry beyond skills training into large-scale industrial production.
The Governor said his administration’s strategy for attracting investors was to create an enabling environment that would make Abia attractive to businesses, rather than constantly pursuing investors.
“We believe that the best way to look for investors is to create the environment,” Otti said, adding that the state government was encouraged by Ethnocentrique’s work ethic, partnerships and measurable results.
He also called for the expansion of existing initiatives and facilities instead of duplicating them, stressing that Abia could leverage what was already on ground to build a stronger industrial base.
“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. If you have something on ground, all you need to do is expand,” the Governor said.
Otti further advocated concentrating and expanding production in Abia rather than establishing multiple factories across different locations, noting that such an approach would lower fixed costs and improve economies of scale.
The Governor cited the example of an investor who, after engaging with the state government, decided to consolidate and expand production in Abia and subsequently committed an additional $65 million to its operations in the state.
He said the same model could be applied to the fashion industry, with Aba serving as a major production base for Nigeria and the wider African market.
“Instead of setting up everywhere in Africa, we can supply the whole of Africa from here. Let’s even start from Africa,” Otti stated.
The Governor, according to Ukoha, also highlighted the establishment of the Export Growth Lab by the state government in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), saying the initiative was designed to help businesses meet quality standards and become export-ready.
Otti stressed that production capacity alone was not enough to guarantee access to international markets, noting that standardisation and quality assurance remained critical to export success.
“You can produce a billion in terms of quantity, but nobody will buy them,” he said, emphasising the importance of ensuring that locally manufactured products meet recognised international standards.
The Governor also noted that the size of Nigeria’s domestic market provided an opportunity for local manufacturers to replace imported products while meeting consumer demand.
He assured that his administration was prepared to support the infrastructure required for industrial expansion, particularly electricity.
Otti subsequently directed his Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, and the CEO/Managing Director of Enyimba Automated Shoe Company (ENASCO) and Enyimba Garment Factory, Ms. Nnenna Kalu Ogba, to engage the Ethnocentrique team and work out the details of the proposed partnership, including the specific interventions required from the state government.
Earlier, Ethnocentrique CEO, Mrs. Irunna Ejibe, commended Otti for what she described as the transformation of Abia, particularly Aba, saying improvements in infrastructure and governance had renewed confidence among investors and development partners.
Ejibe said that while the government was rebuilding physical infrastructure, Ethnocentrique, in partnership with the state government, was focused on rebuilding the intangible systems needed to support industrial growth, including human capital development, market access, organised clusters, finance, functional cooperatives and intellectual property.
She disclosed that Ethnocentrique had completed the two-year pilot phase of its Fashion Future Programme, implemented with support from the Mastercard Foundation.
According to her, the programme trained and certified more than 6,000 young people, supported 4,240 small businesses through structured business advisory services, supported 1,460 mastercraft persons, trained 100 business development service providers and generated more than 11,000 direct and secondary jobs, including support for 2,240 female entrepreneurs.
Ejibe further disclosed that Ethnocentrique had secured strong indicative commitments from partners for a four-year scale-up of the programme, targeting at least 20,000 additional young people in Abia State.
She said the expanded programme would go beyond basic fashion skills to equip participants with competencies in industrial pattern making, grading, production management, line balancing, technical packs, sizing, export compliance, factory ethics and global supply chain practices.
The Ethnocentrique CEO also disclosed plans to establish quality assurance companies in Abia, identifying quality assurance as one of the major bottlenecks preventing local manufacturers from accessing international markets.
“Without quality assurance, we can’t export,” she said, explaining that trusted quality assurance systems would help de-risk Abia for international buyers and strengthen the state’s position as a compliant industrial hub.
Those present at the meeting included the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Meribeole; Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, Ph.D.; Commissioner for Industries and SMEs, Mazi Mike Akpara; Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Sir Nwaobilor Ananaba; Commissioner for Transport, Dr. Chimezie Ukaegbu; Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Mrs. Maureen Ijeoma Aghukwa; Special Adviser on Trade and Commerce, Chief Nwaka Inem; and Ms. Nnenna Kalu Ogba of ENASCO and Enyimba Garment Factory, among other top government officials.
