International Partnerships

The lesson we learned from the medical missions are that people outside the country are ready to help us if we genuinely present our needs. Due to lack of opportunities, thousands of our trained professionals immigrated abroad in search of greener pastures. The achievements of these young men and women in the various countries they reside continue to stand out in almost every field they are in. These are highly trained technical hands that could help develop our state and country in general. We must reach out to our citizens in the Diaspora to tap into these huge human resources. We will have a four-fold program for this

·       We will re-establish the Imo Trade Office in the USA, and perhaps open more of such liaison offices around the world in Europe and Asia, where we have strategic interests.

 ·      A program to attract Imo citizens in Diaspora with the technical ‘know-how’/ ‘how-do’ to come home and make meaningful impact in our economy. We must tap into their experience and expertise to strengthen our state institutions and private sector.

·       An exchange program aimed at re-introducing children of Imo state citizens born abroad back into the state. This is particularly a huge untapped resource for the state, and the private sector. Most of these young men and women were born and raised abroad but crave to come home to assist with development projects in their state. But some of them have never visited home (Nigeria) before, and hardly can do that on their own. We must reach out to these highly trained young professionals on short-term work exchange programs, and use their skills and experience to strengthen some of our state institutions/programs. Such a gradual re-orientation, hopefully, will give them a first hand experience on the existing realities and probably attract them back home.

·       An incentive program to attract an influx of foreign investments to the state. We must open our doors to genuine foreign investors, and international corporations to operate without inhibition. If the environment is right, they will be here.