Right here exactly two years ago, I first spoke to you as your governor, having just sworn to both my oath of office and allegiance.
That speech was the culmination of a journey that began at the Godfrey Okoye University on October 13th, 2022. It was there, under the weight of our collective hopes that we laid out a vision – bold, unrelenting, and urgent. I’m here today because accountability matters. You have placed your trust in me, and that trust comes with a responsibility to show up, to listen, and to answer for the work we’ve done.
I come before you this day, humbled by your support, proud of our collective achievements, and thrilled by the prospects that lie ahead.
This is our moment to take stock. Are we living up to the promises we made? Have we done right by you? Is there enough evidence in our collective efforts thus far to inspire you and rally around a future vision?
We outlined three major transformational objectives that would define this administration’s agenda for Enugu State. These objectives were ambitious, measurable, and grounded in a disruptive developmental mindset: to grow our GDP from $4.4 Billion to $30 Billion by expanding the state’s economy through industrialization, digital innovation, infrastructure development, and a more business-friendly environment; to Achieve Zero Percent Poverty Headcount Rate in the State by eliminating poverty through social investment, job creation, education, and inclusive humane policies; to Make Enugu the Premier Destination for Investment, Living, and Tourism in Nigeria: We aimed to position Enugu as a modern, safe and attractive environment for investors, tourists, and working families.
These objectives were positioned not just as ideals, but as clear metrics of progress. What we began here was not just a new administration, but a movement — a journey of renewal.
Amid the euphoria, however, the reality was stark. When we assumed office, Enugu was a state of extraordinary people trapped in an ordinary story. A state rich in history but running on memory — a people full of potential, yet stuck in a system that had forgotten how to dream.
The economy leaned heavily on our civil service, with over 60% of our budget dedicated to recurrent spending, while innovation, enterprise, and productivity lay dormant. Fewer than 3% of businesses were formally registered, and the private sector, starved of support, barely breathed.
In our hospitals, the numbers told a quiet tragedy: infant, under-5 and maternal mortality rates at unacceptable levels — too many lives lost and futures ended before they began.
In many communities, security was a promise still waiting to be kept. The taps were dry, the roads broken, and the trust between people and government worn thin.
But we knew, you knew that beneath the layers of political fatigue was a sleeping giant. Our mission was clear: to wake this sleeping giant and teach it how to walk tall again. Beyond rousing a sleeping giant, we had a whole new vision. We had a bold, disruptive, and transcendent vision — one that would not merely change the statistics, but change lives. We saw a future where a mother no longer feared childbirth because skilled doctors and stocked clinics were just minutes away. Where a young man in Nsukka didn’t have to migrate to find work; Where a student no longer studied by candlelight or on empty stomach, but in digitally equipped classrooms with free school meals. We imagined goods and industry moving across smooth, safe roads. And above all, people would feel seen — not just as voters, but as citizens of a state finally awake to its purpose.
Some people thought we weren’t the ones to manage this kind of transformation — that we spoke too boldly, moved too fast, or dared too much. There were whispers that it was business as usual. Was this just another government dressed in new suit driven by old habits? Some had heard too many promises and seen too few results. They guarded their hope – and we understood that. Their doubts were the echoes of too many broken promises before us.
There was the elderly man who recalled with nostalgia how Enugu City once teemed with many industries; how youth willing to work readily found job opportunities there. I’ll never forget the sadness in his eyes as he lamented the loss of such opportunities. There was also the grandmother, who had lost two daughters and two grandchildren, because the primary healthcare centre in their vicinity couldn’t offer the needed maternity care.
These stories are real; so too were the fears. But some pushback was fuelled by plain mischief. There were others who simply did not want us to succeed, because progress would undo the comfort of old systems. They fought with doubt, with delay, and sometimes with outright sabotage. But change seeks no permission. It moves — even through resistance. We chose action over comfort, sometimes progress over popularity. Real change is not fanciful — it is hard. It resists. It wounds. And, sometimes, it tests our faith.
There have been many nights I barely slept – because of the weight of the decisions we must make. There are days I pause – not from indecision, but from compassion. I’m constantly asking: How will this decision affect the people? Have we thought through the consequences? It’s part of the burden of leadership. Development is necessary, but it comes with difficult choices sometimes.
We were not promised ease — only the chance to serve. And, so, we pressed on, knowing that the first step towards transformation was into the unknown, with only the light of our vision to guide us. We chose to act swiftly, because we had no luxury of time.
In our first 180 days, we restored clean water to parts of Enugu metropolis by reactivating the 9th Mile water scheme. We flagged off 71 urban and 20 rural road projects to reconnect our people and revive local economies. We brought back school feeding programme, so that our children could learn on full stomachs. We launched a digital business portal, cutting registration time because bureaucracy should never stand in the way of ambition. We began civil service reforms using digital verification, ensuring that public funds serve real workers, not ghost names.
Because security is the foundation of every other promise, we deployed a Distress Response Squad (DRS), and installed AI-embedded Security Surveillance System that has now helped reduce urban crime by up to 80%. These early achievements were statements to you. They sent a message that we are serious about delivering on our mandate.
In just two years, we have begun to rewire the foundation of Enugu State for future promise. We have constructed over 800 kilometers of roads, opening access to markets, industry, schools, and hospitals. These roads cut across urban and rural communities. No community is being left behind. And it didn’t stop with roads – we built the systems that power them.
To date, we have delivered five ultra-modern terminals across the state: Holy Ghost Terminal 1 for interstate travel with a skybridge to Terminal 2; Holy Ghost Terminal 2 for intra-city transport; Gariki Terminal; Abakpa Terminal; and Nsukka Terminal – all ready to be commissioned.
We have allocated 33% of our budget, to education alone — surpassing even global benchmarks, because we believe that our future is forged in classrooms. Soon we will begin the rollout of 260 Smart Green Schools, equipped with digital whiteboards, science labs, and solar power — Experiential learning spaces, where children no longer dream of opportunity, but grow up learning they can create it.
Alongside this, we are building 260 fully equipped Primary Healthcare Centres across every ward, each designed with staff quarters, solar panels, and clean water. No mother in Enugu should ever again fear childbirth due to distance or neglect.
Security is the foundation of all progress. We can’t live and work if we are not safe. We have launched a state-of-the-art Command and Control Centre, deployed 150 AI-enabled security patrol vehicles, and witnessed the decline in violent crime, making it possible again to travel, trade, and sleep in peace.
In the economy, we’ve increased our internal revenue by over 600%, revived moribund assets, launched investment drives, and improved our ease of doing business while laying the groundwork for agro-industrial systems that will feed, employ, and empower.
We have equally created 300,000 hectares of Landbank to be leased to large scale commercial farmers. We have also established 200 hectares of Farm Estate in all the 260 wards in the state.
The idea is to scale up agricultural production across the value chain, both for export and the local market. No longer will agriculture seem like an afterthought.
We didn’t stop there. We completed the Enugu International Conference Centre, giving our state a place on the global stage.
And yes — we launched Enugu Air, a bold venture that will transform Enugu into a globally-connected economic powerhouse. Like every single programme and project we have conceived, Enugu Air is no flight of fancy. With it, we have given additional wings to our dreams. Given its significant economic prospects, our unveiling of Enugu Air may seem like the icing on the cake. But in the grand scheme of things, it is just the tip of the iceberg. For years, the real potential of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport was never fully realized.
But today, thanks to your support and the partnership of the Federal Government, its full potential is coming alive. But it gets even better.
Our cargo can now move directly from the Enugu International Cargo Terminal to the world. That means tech-enabled logistics and a trading dream come true for every Igbo entrepreneur. That means our businessmen can hop on a night flight to London, Dubai, Guangzhou, and even the United States, seal a deal by noon, and return the next day. Ndi Enugu, nke a bu nke anyi. This is the spirit of 042 – bold, innovative, and proudly ours.
We have conceived a radical overhaul of our transport system. We have procured 200 CNG buses and 2,000 city taxis. Our ticketing technology will significantly reduce transport costs for families. Each electronic card purchased won’t only suffice for a single trip – but used for several trips and across routes.
The tourism experience we’re creating for Ndi Enugu, and visitors alike, is mind-blowing. We’re constructing two canopy walkway – one each at the Awhum Waterfall and at the Nsude Pyramids. We have also launched a bold redevelopment plan for the Ngwo Pine Forest. This includes a 300-metre Zip Line – the first such in Nigeria. Parks and green spaces are essential to a city’s livability. Without them, cities lose their soul and are no more than concrete jungles. We are carrying out an extensive revamp of five recreational parks in Enugu City. These include Ejindu Park in Coal Camp; Ngwo and Eze Parks in Uwani; Nnaji Park in New Haven; and the Unity Park. In a few weeks’ time, these parks would be opened to the public and will be equipped with facilities like football pitches, swimming pools, basketball and lawn tennis courts, game arcades, and children’s playground. We are reclaiming a glorious history frozen in time – and prepping for even bigger glories.
When the Presidential Hotel opened in 1963, it was an iconic facility truly befitting of its name. It’s hard to find the words that best describe the sad fate that befell this structure – once a source of pride for the old Eastern Region, nay South East. But the old glory has returned! In a couple of weeks, the revamped Presidential Hotel will regain its rightful pride of place in the hospitality space. A similar tale will be experienced by Landmark Nike Lake Resort after its remarkable makeover.
These are real shifts in the lives of ordinary people. They reflect in the mother in Nkanu East no longer walking five kilometers to access healthcare. The teacher in Nsukka now teaching with digital tools; The child in Aninri who goes to school with a meal in her stomach and the chance of a future in her hands.
Today, we stand on the threshold of irreversible transformation. But there are some who would say that we’ve packed projects that should normally be spread across two terms into just two years. Such mindset is a disservice to the people. Progress doesn’t imply there are no more frontiers left to conquer.
We will never become complacent on the strength of our accomplishments. This is a solemn promise.
What we have achieved so far — though meaningful and measurable — is only the foundation. The roads we’ve built; the schools we’ve opened; the hospitals we’ve equipped — these are just the beginning of the story we are writing together. But the true test, the great test, is whether we can hold fast to the vision that brought us here. Because progress is not linear. It weaves through resistance and sacrifice. And it takes a people, who can see beyond the dust of the present into the skyline of what is possible.
We can further glimpse what is possible in the emerging New Enugu City – a mixed use real estate that could arguably become Africa’s most modern city.
We must be honest: there are still tangible gaps we have to close. Many rural communities remain without consistent access to healthcare. Schools still lack teachers and basic resources. Our roads, while expanding, have yet to reach the more remote communities. Power supply and broadband penetration remain uneven. And despite growing investor interest, too many of our young people still struggle to find meaningful work.
If you asked a civil servant what constitutes their worst fear, a common response is likely to be the uncertainty of retirement. These are the unfinished chapters of our promise – and we are not blind to them. We have climbed, yes. But the summit still calls.
We know there are doubts — questions that live in the hearts of our people. Can we really do it? Can this pace be sustained? Is the vision too ambitious, too fragile to outlast one administration? Some wonder if the sacrifices have been too sharp, the change too fast, the cost too personal.
These are not unreasonable questions. They are the reflections of a people who have seen promises made and unmade. And they deserve answers — not in words alone, but in the steady proof of our accountability.
By no means will our enthusiasm be dampened by success. If we stay the course, in two to four years, Enugu will be a flame of hope not just for ourselves but for Africa — Our economy, once restrained at $4.4 billion, will rise toward the $30 billion through bold planning, secure investment, and a collective effort to make Enugu the beating heart of the South East.
Our land will hum with enterprise: Water will continue to flow in homes across Enugu metropolis, Udi, Nsukka — because we fixed the pipes, the process and the politics. Roads once eaten by erosion will carry goods and ambition with equal ease. In classrooms, our children will learn coding as naturally as they once learned with chalk. Digital literacy is no longer optional.
The poverty headcount rate — once a haunting statistic — will become a memory, as young people find jobs in the knowledge economy, the creative industries, the green energy sector, e-commerce and agriculture. Where hoes and cutlasses once tilled, tractors will plow. Frontline Health centres will no longer be overrun with demand but become engines of prevention and care.
Retirement won’t be a period that workers dread, because every worker will receive their gratuity upon retirement. If we endure, if we finish this journey, Enugu will not simply be changed. It will be reborn.
This vision is not mine alone. It is yours to realize, yours to defend, and yours to demand. The road ahead is steep, but it is ours. So, I call on you — citizens, civil servants, entrepreneurs, artisans, students, mothers, fathers, daughters and sons of Enugu — let us finish this journey together. With love. With courage. With unshakable faith in what we can become.
The future we promised won’t be wished into existence. We must build it — by the choices we make now.
Our tomorrow starts now.
Tomorrow is here.
• Being Governor Mbah’s 2nd anniversary speech at Okpara Square, Enugu on May 29, 2025