By Reuben Onyishi
Enugu is one of the tripodal cultural melting points of Nigeria. It was part of the tripod upon which the newly independent Nigeria was built. The two other ones were Kaduna and Oyo. In 1909, Enugu was the capital of Southern Region. Before 1909, railway lines had already been built in Enugu when most cities in Europe had not so much as seen rail lines. In 1909, coal was already being mined. So, Enugu held the promise of fast growth by all indices.
However, the dreams of the founding fathers of Enugu have yet to be realised following the marginally incremental growth of the state’s developmental trajectories. It apparently appears Enugu is stunted in terms of its socio-economic growth. Having been the capital of Southern Region, East Central State, old Anambra State, old Enugu State and now Enugu State, Enugu should expectedly have struck a heroic pose and quantum leap in its socio-economic life, given that it is also the country home of the enterprising Igbo man. Enugu has yet to grow socio-economically in the same dimension of the tripodal structure of which it was a part.
Previous administrations of the state had made efforts to grow the state but those efforts did not result in the needed exponential economic consequence the state needed. They however laid the solid foundation upon which Enugu could grow astronomically, given the right mindset in leadership. For a state with mineral deposits of commercial proportion like coal, gas, glass sand, lime stone, crude oil and more, and other prospects in say agriculture, energy, transportation, commerce and so on, whoever expects a large-size GDP for the state is not mistaken. The fact is that there had not been the will and courage to leap over the debilitating walls and barriers to exponential economic growth of the state, leveraging economic and investment potential the state has got. It would take a leader with clear vision and courage to leapfrog the state to the high pedestals of economic, technological and infrastructural development.
The emergence of Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah as the Governor of Enugu State with the vision to grow the economy of the state from $4.4 billion to $30 billion GDP in eight years, thereby eradicating poverty in the state to zero per cent headcount index, holds to gaze the economic turnaround Enugu deserves and needs. The Enugu State of Mbah’s dream is such that would be the first choice of investment decision and one of the top three subnational economic hubs in Nigeria, as he brings to bear de-risked business environment that would enhance ease of doing business by means of infrastructural development, peace and security, friendly regulations and fiscal measures. Mbah is methodical, strategic and deliberate about the blueprint and the financial models to the realization of these lofty objectives. Never in the history of Enugu State had measures such as Mbah has embarked upon been witnessed. Mbah has come with courage and commitment to disrupt the status quo, and introduce innovations that would catapult Enugu State to unexplored dimensions.
The people of Enugu State are exceptionally lucky to have got it right at the polls, weeding out the chaffs from the grains. Special thanks go to the immediate past governor of the state, Dr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who against clannish pressure, supported the candidacy of Peter Ndubuisi Mbah in the governorship. Ndi Enugu made the best of decisions by delivering Mbah at the governorship polls. Today, the people rejoice as Mbah has taken radical decisions that enable socio-economic transformation of Enugu State. Investment deals are being closed and new businesses are springing up in the state.
Mbah has also made humongous investments in peace and security, and has innovatively launched security outfits, leveraging digital innovations in cyber security and e-policing to enhanced security of the state in the face of high level of banditry, kidnapping and terrorism in the nation. Investors may mitigate financial and commercial risks. Security risks are a no-go area for investors. Therefore, for a government passionate and intentional about attracting investors, security challenges have got to be fixed. This Mbah has done by also ending Monday sit-at-home in Enugu State.
The era of government waiting to collect monthly allocation from Abuja is over. The projects Mbah sets out to implement are far above what FAC can carry as a sole financial model. For Mbah, FAC is just a fraction that hasn’t got the optimal capacity to engage the humongous projects and developments his administration is set to unleash. Therefore, a new financial model is inevitable for the level of development to which the Mbah Administration looks forward. The internal revenue generation profile without increase in taxes is projected to hit monthly increase from the present N4.3 billion to N10 billion by the end of the year.
Governor Mbah has opened up Enugu State to investors during the Investment and Economic Growth Roundtable held on 1st September, 2023. He has closed a deal worth N26 billion in the transportation sector, and another worth $2.1 billion to be finalized in April, 2024 during the upcoming Investment Summit. Investment opportunities in agriculture, energy, mineral resources, digital technology and the creative industry have been communicated to foreign and local investors, development and commercial banks and partners. And they are burning with the desire to do business with Enugu State.
For example, Indonesia has expressed interest in investment partnership with Enugu State in the area of agriculture, energy, mineral resources and trade. Over 300 hectares of land have been set out for commercial planting of cassava and rice to be processed for exports. The UK at the instance of Mbah is interested in technical assistance and partnership with Enugu State and had in August, last month, opened visas centres in Enugu. About 40,000 Enugu youths are billed to acquire ICT skills and another 10,000 profiled for vocational skills, in readiness to appropriate the employment opportunities the investments attracted would generate by honing the human capital capacity of Enugu youths and make them competitive in the global market. Even local commercial banks have found Enugu a hotbed of economic prospects, and have positioned themselves to tap into them by opening new branches in Enugu.
What Mbah has got on ground for Enugu is something that needs maximum concentration and support of the people of Enugu State. The people, no doubt, are enamoured of Mbah’s disruptive innovation and transformative agenda, and would brook no distractions.
David Nweze Umahi, the Minister of Works, has advised Ndi Enugu in clear terms, noting clearly that Mbah’s background in excellent private sector track record of superlative performance, having shown example with Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited, the market leader in the downstream oil and gas business, is something that Ndi Enugu cannot afford to trifle with. Even the Federal Government of Nigeria is aware of the capacity Mbah holds in the development trajectories of the nation, and so would not have him distracted. Little wonder, Umahi advised those taking Mbah to court over the March 18 governorship elections in Enugu State, which Mbah clearly won, to stop wasting their time. Let not the leopard pursue the monkey on heights, for its mother was delivered of it at the tip of the heights.
It is not in vain, therefore, that it pleases the maker of men to bless Enugu State with a man with a large heart, passion and commitment to set objectives and good governance philosophy, a go-getter, a transcedental leader, highly cerebral, an entrepreneur with eclectic knowledge, competence, capacity, creativity, uncommon bravura, elan, panache, and digital technology savvy required for 21st Century main currents in leadership and management of state resources.