…Unveils 25-year plan to sustain transformation beyond individual administrations

The Enugu State Government has unveiled a 25-year development plan aimed at ensuring that the state’s ongoing transformation outlives individual administrations, with Governor Peter Mbah declaring that the government’s focus is shifting from simply delivering projects to building strong institutions and achieving lasting improvements in the lives of citizens.

Mbah made the declaration at the 2026 Enugu State Global Goals Week Symposium, held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu, with the theme, “From Projects to Lasting Impact: Sustaining Enugu State’s Development Transformation.”

Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the state’s development agenda was being deliberately aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure that investments in infrastructure, human capital and critical services produced measurable and enduring impact.

He said the administration had continued to prioritise investments in education, healthcare, roads, agriculture, water, technology, security and other critical sectors, stressing that the projects were not ends in themselves but part of a broader strategy to build systems capable of sustaining development over the long term.

“Our objective is not merely to execute projects, but to build systems and institutions capable of delivering enduring development and ensuring that the transformation we are driving today is sustained beyond the tenure of any single administration,” Mbah said.

He said the 25-year development plan would provide continuity, guide long-term investments, strengthen institutions, expand economic opportunities, improve human capital and promote inclusive development across the state.

Mbah noted that the state’s commitment to the SDGs was reflected in the spread of development interventions across the 260 electoral wards, particularly through the Smart Green Schools and Primary Healthcare Centres.

He assured that the government would continue to strengthen institutions, improve service delivery and put in place mechanisms to sustain the development gains achieved under the administration.

In a welcome address, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals and Enugu State SDGs Focal Person, Onyinye Akubuilo-Okpalanma, said the state’s transformation must remain people-centred, inclusive and sustainable.

She said government programmes should be judged not simply by the number of projects completed or funds spent, but by their impact on residents, the opportunities created and the communities strengthened.

“The success of government programmes should not be measured only by the number of projects completed or the amount of money spent, but by the extent to which those interventions improve the daily lives of our people, expand opportunities and strengthen communities,” she said.

Akubuilo-Okpalanma called for stronger community participation, continuous monitoring, reliable data and greater transparency in public finance and project implementation. She also urged greater attention to vulnerable groups and sustained investment in education, primary healthcare and environmental protection.

She called on development partners, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, the private sector and community leaders to work with government to sustain development gains, stressing the importance of continuity, institutional memory and long-term planning.

“Enugu’s transformation will be judged not only by the projects visible today, but also by the quality of institutions, opportunities and services available to future generations,” she said.

In a keynote address titled “From Projects to Lasting Impact: Sustaining Enugu State’s Development Transformation,” former Minister of Information, Frank Nweke Jnr., commended the scale and pace of public investment in the state over the past three years.

Nweke said the Mbah administration had reported more than 1,500 kilometres of roads constructed or reconstructed, over 7,000 classrooms and 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres.

He also cited the 2025 budget, in which ₦837.9 billion, representing 86 per cent of the budget, was allocated to capital expenditure, while ₦320.6 billion, representing more than one-third of the total budget, was allocated to education.

He stressed that improved domestic revenue mobilisation was essential to sustaining ambitious development, noting that the financial capacity to fund projects, maintain public assets and support institutions was critical to long-term transformation.

“Projects can transform places, but strong institutions are necessary to ensure that the transformation endures,” Nweke said.

He identified five priorities for sustaining Enugu’s development: linking investments to clearly defined problems and measurable outcomes; embedding the SDGs in planning and budgeting; measuring outcomes rather than expenditure alone; providing for the maintenance of public assets from the outset; and strengthening institutions, professional capacity and accountability mechanisms.

In separate goodwill messages, the UNICEF Field Office, Enugu representative, Juliet Chiluwe; the Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, Rt. Hon. Paul Nnajiofor; and Amb. Amaka Nweke commended the state’s development efforts and emphasised the need for inclusive, accountable and sustainable development that would continue to benefit present and future generations.

The event brought together government officials, development partners, traditional and community stakeholders, civil society representatives and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among other participants.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all chairmanship and Councillorship seats contested in the Sept. 26 Local Government Election in Enugu State.

The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) conducted election into the 17 Chairmanship and 260 Ward Councillorship positions in the state on Saturday.

Declaring the election results at the ENSIEC headquarters in Enugu on Sunday, the Chairman of the Commission, Prof Christian Ngwu, said that the election was free and fair.

Ngwu said that the election was conducted according to rules guiding the Commission, and “subsequently, we are issuing the winners with certificate of returns.”

Speaking after collecting his certificate of return, Chairman of Enugu South Local Government Area, Chief Caleb Ani, attributed the landslide victory of the candidates of APC to the massive developmental works of Gov. Peter Mbah.

Ani urged the residents of the state to vote for Mbah en masse in the forthcoming 2027 General Election to continue the good works.

“Gov. Mbah has done well in all ramifications, this is partly while the APC candidates won overwhelmingly.

“I urge the people to vote for him, come 2027 General Elections so that he will continue with his good works and do more,” he said.

Reacting, the APC Chairman in Enugu State, Dr Martin Chukwunweike, said that the resounding victory at the polls indicated the dominance of the national ruling party, APC, in the state.

“We will not rest as we push the developmental efforts of President Bola Tinubu and our amiable governor, His Excellency Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, for the world to see.

“Tinubu, Mbah and all the APC candidates will be reelected in 2027 as they have performed exceptionally well in the past three years,” he said.

In the numerical figures of the results pronounced, APC chairmanship candidates won with margins while the opposition parties trailed behind with minimal votes.

For instance, in Udenu, Igbo-Eze North and Igbo-Eze South local Government Areas respectively, the APC chairmen elect secured virtually the whole votes cast.