The South-East, South- South Professionals of Nigeria have urged leaders to develop the two regions. President of the group, Mr. Emeka Ugwu-Oju, who addressed members at a forum in Abuja, professionals said the group would support efforts aimed at developing the regions.
According to him, economic and manpower potentials of the regions must be fully harnessed for effective development.
He urged stakeholders in the regions to support initiatives that may be embarked upon to achieve the goal.
Ugwu-Oju said: “No doubt, we are very much aware that we have economic commissions existing in the two zones, we have chambers of commerce and other economic bodies scattered in all these states and one key role they are playing is to initiate and drive economic activities in their areas and we are ready to support them to achieve result.”
In his welcome address, chairman of the group’s planning committee, Mr. Albert Okumagba, said: “Our focus is how to tap into the opportunities to drive the per capital income of the people in the two zones”.
According to him, the future of the South-East, South-South is paramount to the group, saying that was why the group mobilised professionals in both public and private sectors to deliberate on the need to support initiatives to enhance the living standard of the people.
He, however, called on professionals in other regions to key into the idea of forming a common force to tackle economic challenges facing their people.
Presenting a paper entitled: “Where we want to be,” Mr. Onuoha Nnachi, called on government to introduce incentives that would attract investors into the regions.
Such incentives, according to him, include, 100 per cent tax free period for five years for industries that produce products declared as pioneer and 30 per cent tax concession for five years to industries that attain minimum local raw materials utilization, among others.
