For decades, Nnewi has proudly carried the title of Nigeria’s “Japan of Africa,” celebrated across the continent for its fierce, self-starter spirit, mechanical ingenuity, and relentless commercial drive. Yet behind the applause lies a damning question that local leaders and policymakers have routinely dodged: Why has this legendary entrepreneurial fire failed to ignite a full-scale industrial transformation?
Delivering a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred address at the 12th Investiture Ceremony of the Nnewi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NCCIMA) on September 26, renowned political economist and management expert Professor Pat Utomi issued a scathing wake-up call to the business elite and government officials of Anambra State.
His verdict was uncompromising: while Nnewi celebrates past glory, critical global investments, world-class industrial initiatives, and massive manufacturing opportunities are slipping through its fingers and landing elsewhere.
A Legacy of Lost Opportunities
Addressing the audience, Prof. Utomi laid bare the painful reality of missed chances that have held back both Nnewi and Aba from achieving true global competitiveness. Over the years, major international institutions including the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), offered frameworks and funding to accelerate local industrialization. Yet, through institutional lethargy, lack of strategic alignment, and poor policy follow-through, these game-changing opportunities were squandered.
Even more glaring was a recent initiative by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to establish state-of-the-art manufacturing clusters across Africa. While Anambra was initially under serious consideration for this massive development, the opportunity ultimately slipped away and was seized by Ogun State which moved decisively with clear policy direction and attractive investor incentives.
“We cannot continue to celebrate the ingenuity of our people while allowing opportunities to build a stronger manufacturing economy to slip away,” Utomi warned. “We must ask ourselves what went wrong and, more importantly, what we intend to do differently.”
The Myth of “Any Industry Goes”: Refocusing on Factor Endowments
Critiquing the haphazard approach to local investment, Utomi urged Nnewi’s business community to abandon the outdated mindset of chasing whatever business appears profitable on the surface. True, sustainable industrial development demands deep strategic alignment with factor endowments, local skill sets, natural resources, and comparative advantages.
Instead of copycat enterprise, Nnewi must identify specific value chains where it can build unmatched competitive advantages—supported by robust state policies, modernized infrastructure, and strong institutional governance.
Pointing to regional success models, Utomi highlighted Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where deliberate state planning, dedicated industrial parks, infrastructure development, and structured economic organization turned a capital city into a powerhouse for global manufacturing.
“Look at Addis Ababa,” Utomi challenged the room. “Its transformation shows what deliberate planning, infrastructure development, and industrial organisation can achieve when there is a clear vision. These are the things Nnewi should be doing ten times over, yet businesses and opportunities are moving elsewhere.”
A Call to Action: Governance Cannot Wait for Government
Utomi made it abundantly clear that waiting for government handouts or state intervention alone is a dead-end strategy. While government must establish enabling environments, the private sector and organized business chambers must step up to actively dictate policy, fund shared infrastructure, and demand systemic reforms.
Nnewi possesses the raw entrepreneurial talent to outperform almost any economic cluster in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, raw talent without policy backing, institutional framework, and long-term capital allocation will never yield an industrial power state.
The ABT NEWS Bottom Line
Nnewi stands at a critical historical crossroad. It can either remain a town of trader-manufacturers surviving on individual grit amidst crumbling infrastructure and lost foreign direct investment, or it can heed Prof. Pat Utomi’s warning, reform its economic strategy, and build a structured, policy-driven industrial hub capable of competing on the global stage.
The time for self-congratulation is over. The time for deliberate, institutional execution is now.
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