The Igbo Youth Progressive Forum (IYPF) has unveiled a comprehensive economic realignment strategy aimed at strengthening the South-East region’s economic autonomy. The initiative, announced during a recent press release, focuses on two major economic pillars: the relocation of corporate headquarters to Igboland and the strategic utilization of the Onitsha River Port.
At the core of IYPF’s proposal is a call for Igbo business leaders to relocate their corporate headquarters to South-Eastern states. This strategic move, according to the organization, aligns with Nigeria’s proposed tax reform bill that emphasizes derivation and consumption-based revenue sharing. The relocation would ensure that tax revenues generated from businesses contribute directly to the region’s development.
The second crucial component of the strategy centers on maximizing the potential of the Onitsha River Port. IYPF urges South-Eastern importers and exporters to redirect their shipping containers through this strategic waterway, describing it as an underutilized asset capable of transforming regional commerce and reducing logistical challenges.
National President Comrade Victor Onuoha Ukeh emphasizes that this economic realignment transcends mere business strategy, representing a pathway to regional economic sovereignty. The organization calls on South-East state governments to facilitate this transition by implementing business-friendly policies and creating incentives for corporate relocation.
This initiative, IYPF maintains, positions the South-East to emerge as a formidable economic hub within Nigeria’s federal structure, leveraging the region’s renowned entrepreneurial spirit and commercial expertise.