By Vincent Ujumadu
As far back as 2010 when Professor Chukwuma Soludo first aspired to govern Anambra State, one important promise he made as the then candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was that he would turn Anambra State into the Dubai/Taiwan of Africa. Unfortunately, Soludo did not win that election and it took him eleven more years to realize his ambition of becoming the governor of Nigeria’s ‘Light of the nation’, this time, on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.
While campaigning for the office, Soludo, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, still maintained that Anambra has all it takes to be a modern and prosperous state, and that with the right leadership, the state can become Africa’s Taiwan or Dubai.
On March 17, 2022 during his swearing in ceremony at the Government House,Awka, Soludo, again, believed that with him on the saddle, Anambra was on the march to assuming the status of African Dubai/Taiwan. However, security challenges facing the state became a major hindrance to realizing the lofty ideas he came to execute. At the time he assumed office, the seven local government areas in Anambra South senatorial zone were controlled by non state actors who created abodes in the bushes from where they caused mayhem in the various communities. Despite the security challenges, the governor went ahead with his plans to transform Anambra to a liveable and prosperous state. With three years gone, the people of Anambra State are beating their chest and saying that electing Soludo was indeed the right thing.
For instance, Awka, which refused to grow as a state capital since the creation of the state in 1991, is already catching up with other state capitals. In the heart of the city is the Solution Fun City sitting on a 12.7-hectare piece of land that accommodates major leisure and tourism attractions, including an Amusement Park, a Water Park, and a Country Club. In the words of the governor, the project is designed to create a vibrant recreational destination that appeals to both locals and tourists in the capital city.
With a five- star hotel already at the construction stage, tourism and hospitality sectors will hopefully witness steady inflow of investments. The Solution Fun City will have the Awka Country Club, restaurants, cinema, children’s indoor playground, gaming and kids arena, among others. “The Fun City promises to become a key driver of economic growth and a key attraction achieve the desire to make Anambra a destination”, Soludo said.
Elsewhere in Orumba, the governor is building what he called the Mixed-Use Industrial City, which is a deliberate effort to decongest the capital city of Awka. With that proposal, there are ongoing road projects to connect the existing cities with the new ones that are springing up through a deliberate plan by government. Among them is the highly ambitious 68 kilometers Uga-Amawbia Road dualisation project, with a magnificent flyover at Ekwulobia, the fourth largest city in the state, to put to rest the traffic bottleneck that was causing a nightmare for motorists passing through the area, especially during festive periods..
There is also the new Government House which, when commissioned, might become one of the best in the country. Since 1991, the state has been using a construction site evacuated by the company that built the Enugu- Onitsha expressway; as its Government House. As part of the upgrade of Awka, several roads, including the ones in Agulu Awka community, the fourteen kilometers road in Isiagu, the resurfacing of the eight lane Ekwueme Square to new Government House, Gody Ibekwe road, Obi -Okoli -Y junction -Isuanaiocha road, most of the roads in Okpuno Awka, many roads in the GRA, the Amansea – Ndiukwuenu road. In fact, with what government is doing in terms of road infrastructure, there is hardly any community that does not have a tarred road.
There is also the plan to connect all the cities in the state by rail for which feasibility studies have already begun. When completed, people can go to work from any part of the state. To some people, this is taking development to another level.
The Solution Innovation District is another idea that had taken the state to another level. It will consist of a community of innovators, inventors, technologists, social entrepreneurs, tech companies, government, investors, digital tribe and smart artisans who provide solutions to local and global problems. The district is to train, incubate, mentor, and support the digital tribe, startups and entrepreneurship to provide innovative solutions out of Anambra State.The training programme is not just theoretical; it emphasizes practical, hands-on learning experiences to enhance the beneficiaries’ understanding and proficiency in their chosen courses. The governor’s special adviser in charge of Solution Innovation District, Chinwe Okoli explained that upon successful completion of their courses and assessments, the beneficiaries got access to their certificates, symbolizing their newfound expertise and commitment to continuous learning. These certificates are tangible proof of the trainees’ dedication and proficiency, providing them a competitive edge in the job market.
The launch of the Solution Innovation District, Okoli said, is a significant milestone for the innovation ecosystem in Anambra State and the South East region. The impact in the short period is a testament that Mr. Governor is committed to creating an enabling environment for innovation and entrepreneurship to thrive. The digital economy is the future, and Anambra State is well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities that abound in this sector.
In the Innovation District, provisions have been made for investors to key into the programme. Prototype of high rise buildings spaces have already been allocated to investors and, according to Okoli, the responses for investments are encouraging.
The Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor said the state government has invested in CCTV cameras to track down criminals in the state.”Major areas in Anambra State, like in developed countries, have CCTV cameras mounted now in secret places that people will not suspect. So, we are picking information from everywhere. Every suspicious movement, we are analysing it and making very good use of it,” Mefor said.
The state Commissioner for Works, Ifeanyi Okoma evaluated development in the state thus: “Our goal is clear: to make Anambra a more livable and prosperous environment for all citizens. We are not only building roads, but also generating opportunities for local and foreign investors to thrive regardless of their background. In addition to road infrastructure, the government is implementing several legacy projects across the state’s three senatorial districts. By the end of this administration’s first tenure, we anticipate a significant decrease in poverty, encouraging our citizens abroad to return home and contribute to the state’s economic growth,” he said.
“The vision of this administration is to transform Anambra State into a destination, rather than a departure point, for its people and prospective investors. Our people haven’t seen anything yet”, Soludo said.
While marking his third year anniversary with a Pontifical Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Awka, made it clear that he is not competing with any past administration in terms of providing good governance. “We are not in competition with anyone. What we are doing is to improve on what the past governors have done and not to compete with them. I remember that people asked me to build the Ngige standard of roads and I always joke with Ngige about that by telling him that my own will have more stone base and we forget one of my predecessors, Late Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju who built the Alex Ekwueme square, the Anambra State University, among others and it is not because schools were closed that we now say that he did nothing, “ the governor said.
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