By Seyi Odewale
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has attributed the ongoing infrastructure transformation in the state to increased federal allocations and economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu, saying the measures have significantly improved the financial capacity of sub-national governments.
Mbah spoke while receiving members of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors during a media tour of projects in the South-East geopolitical zone.
The team, led by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, inspected several federal and state government projects in Enugu State.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by Tunde Rahman, the Director of Media and Publicity of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, the governor said the scale of development currently being witnessed in Enugu would not have been possible without policy decisions taken by the Tinubu administration.
He said increased revenues accruing to states from the Federation Account had enabled governments to invest more in infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and agriculture.
“It would have been impossible, to say the least, for us as a state to have done things at the scale we did without some of the bold and courageous policies of Mr President,” Mbah said.
The governor explained that before the reforms, many states struggled to meet recurrent obligations and had little left for capital projects after paying salaries.
He said policies such as the removal of fuel subsidies, exchange rate reforms, and other fiscal measures had expanded the resources available to states and enhanced their ability to execute development programmes.
Mbah also cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as one of the Federal Government’s initiatives easing pressure on state finances.
“Today we encourage our students to access NELFUND, and that again frees up funds for us to do other things. The impact is invaluable,” he said.
The governor highlighted investments in security, road infrastructure, healthcare and education, including the Smart Green Schools initiative and the ongoing construction of the Enugu International Specialist Hospital.
He said improved security infrastructure had strengthened intelligence gathering and emergency response across the state, creating a more conducive environment for economic activity and private-sector investment.
Speaking after inspecting projects across the state, Onanuga said the Federal Government’s partnership with state governments was yielding visible results.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not ignored any section of Nigeria. Everywhere has been taken care of,” he said.
Projects inspected by the team included the ongoing Abakpa Flyover Interchange, the reconstruction of the 38.6-kilometre Enugu–Onitsha–Port Harcourt concrete-paved road, and the dualisation of the 21.5-kilometre Enugu International Airport Road, extending to the Ebonyi State border.
The delegation also visited the 40-kilometre Owo-Ubahu-Amankanu-Umualo-Ekem road project, the Enugu State Tractor Assembly Plant, the 300-bed Enugu International Specialist Hospital and the Enugu Smart City project.
The media tour was organised to showcase projects being implemented under the Renewed Hope Agenda and assess the impact of increased federal support to states on infrastructure development and economic growth.
Mbah said the reforms had created opportunities for states to accelerate development, stressing that sub-national governments must utilise the additional resources effectively to deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
