By Nwabueze Okonkwo
ONITSHA — The Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ONICCIMA) has identified poor infrastructure, insecurity, flooding, multiple taxation and unreliable electricity supply as major challenges affecting business operations and industrial growth in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The chamber also listed harassment of visitors and investors at the Onitsha Bridgehead area, limited industrial expansion, inadequate access to finance and insufficient investment in modern logistics infrastructure among the factors slowing commercial activities in the city.
President of ONICCIMA, Sir Chinedu Nwonu, made the observations during his inauguration as the 16th President of the chamber in Onitsha.
He called on the Anambra State Government and other stakeholders to sustain efforts at ensuring the safety and security of businesses operating in the commercial city.
Nwonu also urged members of the business community to work together to reposition ONICCIMA as a stronger voice for commerce and industry.
He appealed to the state and local governments, donor agencies, financial institutions, companies, business associations and public-spirited individuals to support the completion of the chamber’s permanent secretariat project.
According to him, the chamber acquired the land for about ₦40 million and has so far committed over ₦20 million to the project, with about ₦50 million required for its completion.
The immediate past President of ONICCIMA, Sir Augustine Ibeme, congratulated Nwonu on his emergence and urged him to build on the achievements of the previous administration while strengthening collaboration with the Anambra State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (AACCIMA), the South-East Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (SECCIMA) and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).
Reviewing his two-year tenure from 2023 to 2025, Ibeme said his administration prioritised the chamber’s secretariat project by completing major structural works, including internal and external plastering, installation of windows, doors, electrical fittings, plumbing facilities, floor tiling, water boreholes and connection to the electricity grid.
Former presidents of the chamber, including Pharm. Uchenna Apakama, Pharm. Chris Ukachukwu and Chief Kelvin Obieri, expressed confidence that Nwonu would provide purposeful leadership and further advance the interests of the business community.
Speaking at the event, the member representing Onitsha North II Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Pat Okafor, and the Assistant Comptroller of Customs overseeing Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi states, Chief Paschal Paul Igwe, commended ONICCIMA for promoting organised commerce in Onitsha.
Igwe advised traders to avoid dealing in prohibited goods and to make accurate declarations of imported items.
President of the South-East Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (SECCIMA), Humphrey Ngonadi, who inaugurated the new executive on behalf of the National President of NACCIMA, Dr. Jani Ibrahim, urged the new leadership to make a positive impact during its tenure.
Chairman of the occasion and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, encouraged businesses in Onitsha to scale up their operations in order to attract more investment and expand their economic activities.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), Mark Okoye, represented by a member of the commission, Barrister Sylvester Okonkwo, said the future of Onitsha should extend beyond its reputation as one of Africa’s largest trading hubs.
According to him, the city’s long-term competitiveness will depend on its ability to promote manufacturing, innovation, technology, investment and infrastructure development.
He said the South East Development Commission was established to coordinate regional development, prepare transformational projects, mobilise long-term investment and strengthen the economic competitiveness of the South-East region within Nigeria, the African Continental Free Trade Area and the global economy.
