
16/10/2025
Abia’s Grand Sports Vision: Sports Nigeria Team Visits Proposed Economic Zone Site in Owaza
In the quiet oil rich community of Owaza in Ukwa West Local Government Area, a six-member delegation from Sports Nigeria LTD/GTE, led by its Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Nkechi Obi, visited one of the proposed sites for the Abia Special Sports Economic Zone (ASSEZ) on Thursday October 16, 2025.
Sports Nigeria LTD/GTE, the visionaries and major partners behind the initiative, conceived the Abia Special Sports Economic Zone as a transformative model for sports-driven industrialization in Nigeria. The Abia State Government, through its Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, has since embraced the vision, recognizing its potential to reshape the state’s economy through innovation and enterprise.
Owaza was the focus of today’s visit, with two other locations expected to be visited subsequently as part of the ongoing assessment process.
The project underscores growing investor confidence in Abia under Governor Alex Otti’s leadership. His people-centred governance and extensive infrastructural renewal continue to attract strategic partnerships and economic investments to the state.
At its core, the initiative seeks to harness the creativity and craftsmanship of Enyimba artisans, channeling their innovative energy to project Abia onto the global stage as a centre for sportswear manufacturing and merchandising.
Officials from the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, including the Commissioner, Sir Nwaobilor Ananaba, and the Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports, Mr. Raymond Ukwa accompanied the delegation. They reaffirmed the state’s readiness to support the project, noting its potential to create jobs, attract investors, and expand industrial capacity.
For Abia, the ASSEZ project represents more than infrastructure. It is a statement of intent, a move from the margins of Nigeria’s sports narrative to its manufacturing core, where talent, technology, and trade converge.
If brought to life, the Special Sports Economic Zone could redefine the state’s identity, turning Abia into the beating heart of Africa’s sports economy, one made in Nigeria, for the world.