The Anambra State House of Assembly on Wednesday advised the state indigenes in Diaspora to come home and invest in jobs creation to enhance state economic development.
The resolution followed a motion raised under Matters of Urgent Public Importance by Dr Pete Ibida, representing.
Ibida decried the rate at which Anambra indigenes established successful businesses and invest hugely in other states and countries instead of coming home to develop their state.
He said: “We need to do something about this endless exodus to other states and countries. About 80 per cent of resourceful businessmen and women in the country are from Anambra.
“We have many of our sons and daughters owning businesses in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Kano, Abuja and other countries of the world. This is a serious capital flight.
“They need to bring some of their investments home, with the current favourable investment environment created by Governor Willie Obiano’s administration.
“Charity begins at home; we cannot continue to develop other states while our state continue to be underdeveloped.
‘If our indigenes heed this call, Anambra will be better for us.”
Contributing, John Nwokoye, representing (Awka North), urged the indigenes who owned investments outside the state to relocate their head offices or establish a branch of their business in the state.
He said: “When our indigenes in other parts of the country and the world key in to invest at home, there will be massive inflow of investible funds to put right facilities in place.
“Our internally generated revenue will increase, there will be jobs for our unemployed youths and this will enormously contribute to the economic development of Anambra.”
Also, Obinna Emeneka, representing (Anambra East), urged the state Ministry of Information to intensify the “Think Home” campaign to market the large potential that abounds in the state.
“We need to create more awareness to market our state and how our indigenes can get appropriate information to take advantage of the investment opportunities in the state.”
The Speaker of the House, Uche Okafor, urged the state indigenes living abroad to use their wealth of experiences and connections to support development initiatives in the state.
Okafor said: “We are aware of capabilities, skills and potential as people, and we can replicate what Indians in Diaspora did in Anambra, if our indigenes invest here.
“Lagos is fast developing, because they are generating enough funds; we can do same, if our people begin to divest their investments to the state leveraging on our enabling environment.
“This will create conducive working environment which will encourage massive return of experts who are currently abroad in search of greener pastures.”
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