Ariaria International Market Remodelling Project  will be completed within its proposed 10-year schedule says Engr Henry Okoroafor, Managing Director of Blessed Henken International Company Ltd,  the company executing the project


Okoroafor, while interacting with journalists explained that his company has come through the initial misunderstanding between his company and the previous administration had in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU




 He affirmed that there is no challenge in completing the project in record time, pointing out that currently, they have completed 4, 200 shops in a space of 3 years. 

He further added that  his company is already refunding the loan to the tune of N1.5 billion the previous administration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu assisted the company to  secure for the project.


Okoroafor said, when fully completed, the market would be equipped with  modern state of the arts facility, including fire sprinkling system, fire proof doors, elevators, motor parks, steady power supply among others


According to the developer, the project which commenced in October 2021 under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement is intended to remodel Ariaria to meet international standards, noting that such level of healthy competition is needed in the country to ensure that there is massive development in all the sectors of the economy.

 “Having spent 25 years in China, studying the level of development, I decided to come home, to see how my State could look like other international commercial cities,  without this level of healthy competition, I don’t think we can make any headway in terms of infrastructural development. We expect that at the conclusion of the project, Ariaria will be talked about all over the country”, he said 

Okoroafor re-emphazised that his Chinese team is assisting in funding the project, adding that the project which has sped up since the current Governor Alex Otti led State government, is also working towards completion  within the period of seven years as well as its maintenance   for 20 years.

He explained that as a business man, he also has profit making in mind which is why his team from China is out to remodel Aba and make it attractive for investors in order to shore up the revenue base of Abia State.

He told newsmen that the remodelled shops are affordable and goes for N5 million which can be paid instalmentally, revealing that there was an offer for traders who cannot afford to pay the money once to access a loan package from United Bank for Africa, but regretted that the traders also went to court to block such window of opportunity.

He urged Abians to continue to support them as they work towards achieving a Dubai in Aba, stressing that on completion, they don’t need to travel abroad or any other part of the country for their shopping as it can be done here in Aba.