As the Danish Government and businesses actively seek to enhance their investment and partnership opportunities in Enugu, they have expressed a strong desire to expand Denmark’s business interests within Enugu State. The delegation highlighted their enthusiasm for collaborating with the state across key economic sectors and other areas of mutual benefit.
This statement came during a meeting at Government House, Enugu, between a Danish government delegation and businesses, led by the Consul General of the Royal Danish Embassy in Nigeria, Jette Bjerrum, and Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah.
Bjerrum, who also serves as the Head of Trade at the Danish Embassy in Nigeria, noted that their interest was driven by shared values with the Enugu State Government, including transparency, accountability, and inclusivity, as well as inspiration from Governor Mbah’s address at a recent event in Lagos.
She stressed that Enugu State exemplifies the positive developments occurring in Nigeria, countering pervasive negative perceptions.
“People often search for the bad stories, but we want to highlight the good narrative too; to showcase that (Enugu State) is integral to Nigeria and that this is where trustworthy individuals operate with transparency, accountability, and traceability.
“I’m here to discern what is vital for Enugu, recognising our shared values of transparency, accountability, and transformation. Inclusion, diversity, and equality must be upheld at all levels for everyone.
“What resonates with me from the governor’s vision is the emphasis on children and youth. The Smart School initiative is particularly impressive, along with advancements in the agricultural value chain, waste-to-energy initiatives, ongoing logistics projects, the international airport, cargo facilities, and the healthcare projects spearheaded by the Governor. We are truly impressed.
“We must act swiftly because things progress rapidly here in Enugu. We are here to explore how we can enhance these initiatives. We have Danish companies currently engaged, including those supplying the first tractors, and we have established a new tractor assembly centre. Our aim is to attract more Danish companies to settle and collaborate with Enugu citizens. That’s our purpose for being here,” she stated.
“We come from a nation experienced in waste-to-energy, wind, and solar power. While we understand these processes take time, we wish to identify ways to support and facilitate capacity building.
“The immediate opportunities lie in agriculture, as that aligns closely with our expertise, alongside logistics and beyond,” she concluded.
Governor Mbah reaffirmed his administration’s commitment not only to foster a business-friendly environment but also to mitigate investment risks and encourage investors through offtake agreements. He noted that the Danish delegation’s visit significantly bolsters his administration’s objective to scale the state’s economy sevenfold to reach $30 billion within the next six years.
“We have already entered into an agreement with the Danish company, ODK Group, which will enable us to procure tractors from them. Notably, they are also keen to establish their assembly plant here, viewing this as just a stepping stone.
“We have secured over 300,000 hectares of land as a land bank for agriculture. Similar to Denmark, agriculture is essential to our economy, accounting for 40 per cent of it.
“We are implementing an initiative called Farm Estate across all 260 electoral wards in Enugu, where each ward will be allocated a secured expanse of land with controlled access.
“We also plan to enhance the value of agricultural products by establishing Special Agro-Processing Zones soon, creating a one-stop shop for manufacturers that will provide necessary resources such as water, access roads, electricity, housing, and warehouses — a seamless plug-and-play solution.
“We are making substantial investments in livestock and seek partnerships in this area. We have secured around $20 million for livestock investment and are developing a large ranch expected to accommodate over 20,000 cows,” he added.
Mbah highlighted additional opportunities in sectors including tourism, health, logistics, and aviation.
