Abia State Governor Dr Alex Otti turned heads on Monday when he took the stage at the Invest in Lagos 3.0 summit and openly sold Abia’s vast business opportunities to a room full of local and international investors. Many Nigerians watching the live coverage could not help but nod in agreement as the governor, known for his no-nonsense style, painted a picture of a state that is finally ready to compete.
Otti did not come to beg. Instead, he thanked Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the rare gesture of inviting sister states to share the same platform. “It takes a lot of selflessness to invite other states to take advantage of a platform to market themselves,” he said, adding that he had no intention of demarketing Lagos. But he was blunt about one reality many Lagosians already feel: the city is overpopulated. “We cannot all be mega cities like Lagos,” Otti told the audience, “but there are things we can take from Lagos while other states begin to grow.”
What exactly did Governor Otti say about investing in Abia at the Lagos summit?
The Abia helmsman highlighted major strides his administration has made since 2023. He pointed to the ongoing redesign of Aba, the commercial heartbeat of the state, and the allocation of over 5,000 hectares of land specifically for new factories. Power supply, long a nightmare for manufacturers across Nigeria, is changing fast in Abia. Some communities now enjoy 24-hour electricity thanks to the Geometric Power plant, and the state is working towards pulling more areas off the unreliable national grid. Otti also listed completed roads, electric buses, and improved healthcare rankings as proof that Abia is open for serious business.
He assured investors of a conducive environment, tax incentives where needed, and a government that is intentional about protecting lives and property so businesses can thrive without fear. “Abia is producing its own energy,” he emphasised, “and that is reshaping the operating business environment.”
Why Governor Otti’s pitch at Invest in Lagos 3.0 is turning heads
For many who have followed Abia’s story over the years, the difference is clear. Under Otti, the state has moved from being known mainly for complaints to becoming one of the states quietly fixing its basics. Investors at the summit, which aims to pull in $2.5 billion, heard similar pitches from governors of Imo, Nasarawa and Plateau, but Otti’s calm, data-backed delivery stood out. Social media users in Abia and beyond quickly shared clips of his speech, with some calling it a “masterclass in state branding.”
Ordinary Nigerians following the event online say the message resonates at a time when many are tired of putting all eggs in one basket called Lagos. Small business owners in Aba and Umuahia see it as validation of the quiet infrastructure work happening back home. Even critics who usually knock state governments admitted that Otti sounded convincing.
The governor made it clear he was not competing with Lagos but complementing it. His message was simple: while Lagos remains the giant, other states like Abia now offer fresh space, lower costs, and growing infrastructure for those ready to expand or start something new.
As the Invest in Lagos 3.0 summit continues this week, Otti’s intervention has already sparked fresh conversations about decentralising investment across Nigeria. For Abia people, it feels like their state is finally getting the national spotlight it deserves. Whether the words translate into actual factories and jobs will depend on what happens after the handshakes, but the pitch itself has left many believing that Abia is indeed open for business.
