Mbah Pledges Support for Igbo Businesses as Afrinvest Opens Enugu Office

The Enugu State Government has reiterated its commitment to supporting the growth and sustainability of Igbo-owned enterprises, as Governor Peter Mbah reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to creating a thriving business environment in the state.

Governor Mbah made this known during the official opening of Afrinvest’s new office in Enugu, a leading investment and financial services firm expanding its presence in the Southeast.

Representing the governor at the event, Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai welcomed Afrinvest to Enugu, describing its arrival as “the beginning of many good things to come.”

“Your reputation has travelled farther than you. For us, it is particularly exciting that you are here because of the range of services Afrinvest provides,” Ossai said.
“We are putting in place the necessary infrastructure to attract investments such as this. But businesses cannot thrive in an environment where the support services that drive them do not exist — that is why your presence here matters.”

Ossai added that Afrinvest’s expertise would help Igbo entrepreneurs build institutions that last across generations, rather than short-lived, personality-driven ventures.

“Most of the businesses we grew up knowing could not transcend from the generation that established them to the next because we Igbo people are predominantly people with very strong personalities. Everybody wants to have an ‘Ifeanyi Ossai Nigeria Limited,’” he noted.

In his remarks, Afrinvest Group Managing Director, Dr. Ike Chioke, said the firm’s expansion into Enugu was inspired by Governor Mbah’s business-friendly policies and efforts to attract investors.

“We’ve always had our eyes on Enugu. We had planned to come in three years ago, but it didn’t materialise. When Peter Mbah came on board and began transforming Enugu into an investor-friendly state, the urgency to open our Enugu office increased,” Chioke explained.

He described the move as part of Afrinvest’s “aku ruo uno” (think home) philosophy, bringing over 30 years of expertise in investment banking, asset management, securities trading, trusteeship, consulting, research, fintech, and microfinance to the region.

Chioke emphasised that Afrinvest’s presence would help Enugu entrepreneurs learn how to build businesses that outlive their founders, citing examples of once-thriving Igbo companies that failed due to a lack of governance and continuity plans.

“All too often, we see successful entrepreneurs whose businesses collapse once the founder dies. There are structured ways of ensuring continuity, raising capital, and hiring the right people — and that’s what we are here to provide,” he said.

He added that the decision to open the Enugu branch followed a board resolution to deepen partnerships in the region, including Afrinvest’s ongoing sponsorship of Rangers International Football Club.

“That wealth of expertise which we provide in other parts of the country is what we are bringing to Enugu. Our clients here will understand what it takes to build businesses for the long term,” Chioke concluded.

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