Imo:Abuja Dr. MacDonald Ebere, the immediate past Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Imo State, is sponsoring 100 communities to participate in the state’s One Business One Kindred Initiative (OKOBI) to help alleviate poverty.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ebere is facilitating the registration of the communities’ business entities with the Corporate Affairs Commission in preparation for their participation in OKOBI. The initiative aims to distribute 100 slots evenly across Imo State’s three senatorial zones Owerri, Orlu, and Okigwe.
The OKOBI program, spearheaded by Governor Hope Uzodimma, is executed through the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the State Government. It promotes group-based entrepreneurship by encouraging communities to collectively build businesses. Ebere emphasized that the selection of communities would be transparent and merit-based, targeting those who organize quickly rather than relying on connections.
Ebere, who also serves as the Board Chairman of the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology in Lagos, highlighted the importance of leveraging existing community structures for economic growth. He asserted that OKOBI, along with other state initiatives, empowers ordinary people by making them active stakeholders in economic development.
He further expressed his belief in the sustainability of these enterprises within Governor Uzodimma’s 3R Agenda, which focuses on Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, and Recovery. Ebere also called on commercial banks, corporate organizations, and private investors to support these community-owned businesses with financial backing and technical assistance.
The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, recently praised the OKOBI initiative during her visit to Imo, recognizing its potential for fostering socio-economic growth in the region.