Hendai Group To Boost Job Creation In Akwa Ibom With ICT
The concerted efforts of the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, to transform the state into an industry hub of the nation has started yielding results, particularly in the area of information, communication and technology (ICT), as a multipronged investment group, Hendai Investments Limited, is set to roll out its high-end technological products into the market.
The products which are ready for formal launch for distribution and sale, include mobile phones, phone accessories, television, solar roofing sheets, and power banks, among others.
The products manufactured by the company in Akwa Ibom State have the brand name Niyo; a brand name which was arrived at by combining two words – Nigeria and Uyo.
Aside from the product manufacturing, the company, which has already acquired 30 hectares of land from Akwa Ibom State government under the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel, will build an industrial city that will host several manufacturing companies. The allocated hectares, which have been issued the certificate of ownership (C of O), by the Government is, however, awaiting payment of compensation to the host communities for actual development of her industrial city project to begin.
However, the mega industrial city project which are in phases, has already started work on the first phase of manufacturing power banks, mobile phones, solar roofing sheets, ear pods, television l, computers and phone accessories flagged off by the Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno very soon.
According to the CEO, Owoedinyene Essien, the company designed its products to boost the technological needs of the state, Nigeria and the entire Africa. Essien who has had years of experience in global manufacturing companies, oil and gas, is assured of quality products. For instance, the least of the power banks manufactured by the company can sustain energy for over a week with a mobile phone. Also, the solar roofing sheets, which are novel in the building sector, will power the entire apartment, knocking off alternative power sources.
Availing this paper with further information on the organization, Essien said: “We have been around for the past six years in Akwa Ibom State and have met with the previous administration on the need to build industrial home in Akwa Ibom State for Nigeria, where people from other parts of the world can come in to buy various products, ” he said.
Although some of the products of the company are already in the market, the television and mobile phones are awaiting formal launch by the new administration before they are put into the market.
“The Arise Agenda is a big plus to our investment plan,” Essien said, stressing that, “It will be a win-win for us and the state government. We are coming up with high-capacity technological products. And this investment has the capacity to re-orientate our youths, technologically and economic wise.
Akwa Ibom will be on top of technology in Nigeria,” he said.
On how the company will contribute to solving job creation and insecurity, he said: “When you’re talking about production, it comes with benefits. From manufacturing to selling, you’re engaging people in jobs. Even at the clearing point of the lands. Besides, the youths will be empowered through technology, the solar roof production will help transfer technological skills to the youths in Akwa Ibom State,” she stated.
Explaining further on how the industrial city will help solve insecurity problems, he said: “I was one of the delegates that presented a paper at the last Economic conference in Addis Ababa on economic development of Africa and the possibility of creating two million jobs before the end of 2030 was the focal point.”
“If you want to address the insecurity problem, you must attack it from the roots.
Sequentially, insecurity starts from joblessness, then poverty, then it gets to hopelessness, then to depression and at this point, the minds of the jobless begin to cultivate crimes and then insecurity begins to happen.”
He strongly advocated that rather than African leaders buying guns to kill ourselves, we can empower youths for the peace of the State.
“So, how do you solve the problems? It is not about African leaders buying guns to kill themselves, the people they killed are someone’s son and something made them take to crime, if he can be corrected through gainful employment, he will not go into crime. When you give someone gainful employment, the mind will not start thinking of crime, the mind will start thinking of progress and development, he now becomes useful to the society.”
The Hendai City project in Akwa Ibom State, according to Essien, will take out 1000 youths from the streets, with the ripple effect, you would have indirectly affected over 10,000 people. By this, you have solved the insecurity that would have cropped up with these 1000 people if they were jobless.”
