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Last December, a citizen of Imo state based in the United States, arrived Owerri, the state capital to spend the Christmas holidays with his family. After going round the state, he was filled with pleasant feelings. Something incredible, breathtaking scope, is happening in the state. It’s like a sea-change. He couldn’t hold back his excitement. He said, “Governor Hope Uzodimma has executed a successful coup in Imo state without firing a shoot”. If you interpret his amazement by the ordinary meaning of his words, you miss the import. It’s something that causes a profound, fundamental change and impact. He also meant that Gov Uzodimma has proved doubters wrong with many transformative, landmark projects.
Almost every visitor to Imo state in recent months has expressed the same positive, pleasant feelings of fundamental change in the state never seen since the present democratic dispensation. Here is Uzodimma’s ‘open secret’ to success : As American historian Robert A. Caro said, “no one can effectively lead who does not first acquire power, and no leader can be great who does not know how to use great power for great purposes” that will benefit the people. However, the combination of the two skills, Caro argues, is rare. But, Gov Uzodimma in six and half years in the saddle, has proved that he can effectively combine the two skills.
He has also proved that what he promised while he was seeking the mandate of the people, he is fulfilling those promises, with verifiable evidence. In practical terms, this boils down to one thing: there’s a lot one individual with vision and conviction can do.The test is how a leader connects with the people on what he wants to do, and be deliberately intentional about it. That’s why sharing success stories of some people could be inspiring. It acts as a motivational tool for those who have stumbled on the last rung of the ladder or failed at the top to deliver.
You see, without a vision beyond a leader’s own advancement, that leader could be paralysed once the primary goal of acquiring power had been achieved. That’s one of the lessons in power. It is also one of the reasons Senator Uzodimma is uniquely different from the rest of the pack. The truth is this: political and business leaders often face big, messy problems – challenges that defy precise definition, thrown up by numerous causes. Therefore, to find solutions to them, in the words of Roger Martins, Dean of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, leaders must move through a “knowledge tunnel” comprising three stages. These are: “staring into the mystery, developing a heuristic, or rough rule of thumb; and creating a step-by-step formula for addressing the problem”.
That’s what Uzodimma did when he was sworn in on January 15, 2020. Where his predecessors failed, he is determined to succeed even beyond his critics’ expectations. Unlike others, he believes in hope, that there’s nothing impossible for a committed leader to achieve. Looking at him up close, he smiles always. He doesn’t bark in tough times. There’s no fear in his consciousness. He searches for durable solutions. And he found them. These are some of his landmark projects that history will remember for.
The 2025 Imo Investment and Economic Summit held in Owerri, remains a reference point. It was a huge success. It attracted global dignitaries, African leaders and captains of industry. The Summit successfully showcased Imo as an emerging industrial and tech hub, laying a strong foundation for future foreign and domestic private-sector investments. Until now, nothing of such magnitude has happened yet in the Southeast, and indeed, in any of the states of the federation.
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Uzodimma made it happen. The high-level attendance was unparalleled. The historic gathering included international and local personages such as former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He delivered the keynote address. Also present were former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Liberian president Joseph Boaki, Africa’s richest businessman Aliko Dangote, and executives from Afreximbank, among others.
In fact, the Summit was a testament to Uzodimma’s transformative leadership, an exemplar of democracy dividends. It also highlighted the state’s massive gas reserves and the newly Orashi Special Energy Free Trade Zone(OSEFTZ), which offers investors 100% foreign ownership, tax holidays, and zero corporate tax. The Orashi Power Plant also provides 24-hour electricity supply to all public buildings in the state capital. That’s just the first phase of what is coming. At the summit, Afreximbank, to the delight of everyone, announced plans to build a multi-million dollar facility in Imo state to support export-ready production.
There was also guarantees for investors. To eliminate bureaucratic red tape, Uzodimma promoted the Business Enabling Reforms Action Plan(BERAP), which guarantees statutory timelines for business permits and registrations. That’s a revelation of Gov Uzodimma’s innovative, ‘can-do- spirit’. Nobody summarised the benefits of the Summit better than Boris Johnson. He commended Uzodimma for his efforts in improving road infrastructure, security, advancing sustainable power supply, and driving human resource empowerment. He said Imo state has an “absolutely fantastic future” that can serve as a major pillar for Nigeria’s economic diversification.
Uzodimma’s administration deserves such accolades from Boris Johnson. He has proved that he is intentional with his policies, and fully connected with his people for higher purposes. That’s why, there’s always this brightness on his face. He is a man at the top of his game. One of the biggest transformative signature of his achievements is the iconic Assumpta twin flyover, which was commissioned on September 30, 2025, by President Tinubu. The commissioning drew a massive delegation of Nigerian leaders, including Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, among other coterie of personalities.
The dual-carriage twin flyover was constructed by Craneburg . The flyover is widely regarded as one of the most prominent infrastructure projects in the Southeast. Located at the busy Control Post/Assumpta Cathedral Junction, the flyover has resolved age-long traffic congestion in the state capital. It allows motorists between the Warehouse axis, Port Harcourt road and Onitsha road to bypass ground-level traffic. The flyover was commissioned alongside other major infrastructure projects in the state, such as the Owerri -Mbaise-Obowo- Umuahia road and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu Centre.
These are solid roads that can stand the test of time. They are not the deceitful “China roads” that often collapse soon after commissioning. Also, deserving mention is the Imo state ‘Skill-Up initiative’, which has successfully trained over 40,000 youths in high-demand tech skills. This has positioned the state as a prime destination for tech-enabled services and outsourcing. Beyond that, there’s a broader state infrastructure developments, including upgrades to the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo airport and the modernisation of the Concorde Hotel, now managed by Hilton Group, a reputable hospitality brand. Look at Gov Uzodimma very well, his spotless white fabric and a red cap to fit, that makes him feel pretty good, and composed, politically and personally, what do you see? He doesn’t look like a leader weighed down by the pressures of the office and the stream of darts thrown at him by reactionary political opponents. The self- confidence he exudes is anchored on the pleasant realisation that the state he governs is working. It’s also because success has a pattern. It’s the outcome of his 3-R mantra of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Recovery. You can glean it from the vision of a leader. It also comes from the public belief in his ability to govern and make right decisions on behalf of the people. For Gov Uzodimma, setting realistic expectations and benchmarks are key to his success story. But of crucial importance is the effective implementation built on trust. Those who are close to him, such as his hardworking Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Hon. Declan Emelumba can attest to what makes him stand out. According to the commissioner, Gov Uzodimma doesn’t promise what he cannot do, or anything he doesn’t wish to do. “He says what he means and means what he says”, Emelumba declares, matter-of-fact. That’s why the attempted ‘coup’ against Uzodimma by some mischievous minds within the Progressive Governors’ Forum(PGF), which he’s the chairman, failed two weeks ago. In all of this, Gov Uzodimma needs reminding that the reward for hard work is more work.
