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THE BUSINESS NATURE OF EBONYI STATE: WHY INDUSTRIES AND COMPANIES ARE NEEDED MORE THAN HOTELS, JOINTS, AND HARD LABOUR JOBS

By Comr. Chukwu Abia Chikaodiri |Grassrootsmirro 

Ebonyi State, situated in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, is a land blessed with fertile soil, rich mineral deposits, and resilient human capital. Yet, despite its immense potential, the economic structure of the state remains heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture, informal trading, hospitality services, and labor-intensive construction jobs. There is an urgent and compelling need for a shift—a transformation that prioritizes industrialization, innovation, and investment in sustainable companies and factories over the proliferation of hotels, drinking joints, and casual labor.



This article delves into the nature of business in Ebonyi State, outlines the present economic realities, and makes a strong case for why a new industrial roadmap is essential for the state’s future.

Current Business Landscape in Ebonyi State

Agriculture-Based Economy

Ebonyi is largely agrarian. The state is known for rice production (especially Abakaliki rice), yam, cassava, and palm oil. However, most of these are done on a small scale using traditional methods. Processing and value addition are largely absent or minimal.

Hospitality and Informal Sector Domination

In major towns like Abakaliki, Afikpo, and Onueke, the dominant visible businesses include:

  • Hotels and lodges
  • Beer parlors, clubs, and lounges
  • Eateries and fast-food outlets
  • Phone charging kiosks, POS operators, and informal traders

While these businesses provide some level of employment, they contribute little to long-term development and often attract short-term capital without reinvesting in the local economy.

Hard Labour in Construction Sites

A significant number of young people in Ebonyi are engaged in menial construction jobs—mixing concrete, carrying blocks, and working as bricklayers or site helpers. This reflects a lack of skilled jobs and entrepreneurial infrastructure.

Why Ebonyi State Needs More Industries and Factories

Job Creation and Skill Development

Industries and factories provide structured employment, offer training and upskilling opportunities, and elevate people from hand-to-mouth living to steady incomes. For example:

  • A food processing plant can employ hundreds directly and thousands indirectly through the supply chain.
  • A furniture factory can absorb carpenters, welders, marketers, and logistics workers.

Value Addition to Local Resources

Ebonyi is rich in raw materials—limestone, salt, lead, zinc, granite, and agricultural produce. Sadly, these are often transported raw to other states or countries where they are processed and sold back at higher prices. Establishing:

  • Rice mills (modernized and expanded)
  • Palm oil refining plants
  • Salt refining and packaging factories
  • Building materials plants (tiles, cement, paint) Would retain more wealth within the state.

Reducing Youth Migration

The lack of industrial jobs has led to rural-urban migration and the exodus of Ebonyi youth to cities like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and even to other countries. Establishing industries locally would:

  • Retain talent
  • Build local economies
  • Promote cultural continuity

Tax Revenue and Government Development

Companies and industries are formal establishments that pay taxes, contribute to social security, and help fund infrastructure. Hotels and joints, while flashy, are often poorly taxed, with money circulating informally.

Encouraging Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship

Ebonyi State’s youth are intelligent, resilient, and creative. Industries create an environment where:

  • Startups can flourish (AgriTech, FinTech, logistics)
  • Incubation hubs can be established
  • Partnerships with institutions like Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Federal college of agriculture Ishiagu can thrive.

The Downsides of Hotel and Joint Proliferation

Moral and Social Concerns

The hospitality sector, especially joints and lounges, often become breeding grounds for:

  • Substance abuse
  • Prostitution
  • Youth idleness and violence

Short-Termism

Most of these establishments are built for quick profit, not for long-term societal development. They:

  • Employ few people (mostly informal, underpaid staff)
  • Do not engage with community needs
  • Lack backward integration into the local economy

Distraction from Developmental Goals

When an entire generation becomes fixated on managing hotels, lounges, or working menial site jobs, it leads to:

  • Erosion of ambition
  • Weak investment in education
  • Decline in technical and productive skills

Strategic Sectors Where Ebonyi Can Industrialize

Agro-Processing

  • Cassava to starch/flour factories
  • Yam flour production
  • Palm kernel extraction and oil packaging
  • Vegetable drying and export

Solid Mineral Processing

  • Granite cutting and polishing
  • Salt extraction and chemical derivative industries
  • Cement and tile production

Light Manufacturing

  • Packaging industries
  • Furniture and woodworks
  • Plastic production
  • Bottling and canning facilities

Tech and Digital Services

  • Call centers
  • Software hubs
  • Media/animation studios
  • Training institutes for digital skills

What Government and Stakeholders Must Do

Create an Industrial Development Master Plan

  • Map industrial zones
  • Offer land and tax incentives to manufacturers
  • Partner with private investors

Strengthen Infrastructure

  • Improve electricity access (rural electrification, solar incentives)
  • Build industrial roads and rail links
  • Improve water supply and broadband connectivity

Education-Industry Alignment

  • Revamp technical colleges
  • Partner with universities/polytechnics for research, manpower, and internships
  • Encourage school-based entrepreneurship

Access to Funding

  • Establish Ebonyi Industrial Fund
  • Offer low-interest loans to local industrialists
  • Encourage diaspora investment in factories, not just hotels

A Call to Reimagine Ebonyi’s Economic Future

Ebonyi State cannot build a sustainable future on beer parlors, site work, and hotels alone. These sectors have their place but must not overshadow the pressing need for transformative development through industrialization. The future lies in nurturing value-added businesses, empowering skilled labor, and investing in innovation.

The youth of Ebonyi deserve more than wheelbarrows and shovels—they deserve factories, boardrooms, labs, and export houses. The state must rise from subsistence to sophistication, from survival to significance. The time to act is now.

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