Mbah: We’re Building Enugu into South-East Economic Gateway –Mbah

ENUGU — From new roads and schools to improved water supply, air connectivity and emerging smart-city infrastructure, Governor Peter Mbah says his administration is repositioning Enugu from a historic regional centre into a modern economic gateway to the South-East.

 

Mbah made the declaration while addressing editors at the All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) 2026 in Enugu, where he urged journalists to look beyond official claims, visit the projects and speak directly with residents about the changes taking place across the state.

 

The governor said his administration’s ambition extends beyond infrastructure delivery, stressing that Enugu is being positioned to become one of Nigeria’s top three states by Gross Domestic Product and a national leader in human development.

 

“What is happening here is, I believe, one of the fastest and most ambitious transformations of any state in modern Nigeria. And the ambition reaches beyond Enugu itself,” Mbah told the editors.

 

“We want this state to become an economic gateway for the South-East, one of Nigeria’s top three states by GDP, and a national leader in human development.”

 

Roads, schools changing communities

Mbah said more than 1,500 kilometres of roads had been constructed or reconstructed across the state, describing infrastructure as one of the most visible signs of the ongoing transformation.

 

He also cited the construction of more than 7,000 classrooms and the development of Smart Green Schools across the state’s 260 electoral wards, alongside investments in healthcare, water supply and transportation.

 

But the governor said the real measure of the projects should be their impact on residents, particularly children, families and businesses.

 

“A child walking into a digitally equipped school in a community that has been left behind. Healthcare closer to home. A journey to market that will no longer take half the day,” he said.

 

Mbah also said water supply was returning “at scale” to Enugu metropolis, while new transport terminals and Compressed Natural Gas buses were being introduced to improve movement across the state.

 

Enugu Air, Smart City take centre stage

The governor identified Enugu Air as another component of the state’s economic repositioning, saying improved connectivity would support businesses, investment and tourism.

 

He also highlighted the emerging Enugu Smart City, inviting the visiting editors to inspect the development and assess the progress for themselves.

 

“Enugu has become a state people are talking about, far beyond our borders. While you are here, I invite you to experience it for yourselves,” he said.

 

Mbah acknowledged the role of the Federal Government in the state’s development, citing what he described as a strong partnership with President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

 

He pointed to federal interventions in roads, aviation, energy and regional development, as well as the concessioning of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, which he said could further strengthen Enugu’s position as a gateway to the South-East.

 

“I have acknowledged that partnership publicly before, and I gladly do so again. The partnership is helping us build at a scale and pace that would once have seemed impossible,” he said.

 

‘Come and see for yourselves’

Mbah, however, acknowledged that challenges remained and said his administration was not claiming that every problem had been solved.

 

Rather, he challenged the editors to independently assess the impact of the government’s projects by moving beyond the conference venue and engaging directly with residents.

 

“Take some time to explore the city. Speak to the people who live and work here and get a sense of the direction in which Enugu is moving,” he said.

 

The governor’s message was clear: the government wants Enugu’s transformation to be judged not only by official statistics or speeches, but by what residents, businesses and visitors can see and experience across the state.

 

The broader ambition, he said, is to move Enugu beyond its historic identity as the Coal City and establish it as a stronger economic and investment destination within the South-East and Nigeria.