Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah has expressed confidence in his vision of transforming the state into a $30 billion economy within an eight-year timeframe.
He believes this ambitious goal is attainable, provided that political appointees share in his vision and commit to its realization.
Mbah conveyed his optimism during the conclusion of a three-day executive leadership retreat, which brought together senior political appointees in Enugu.
Economic Growth Blueprint
Peter Mbah emphasized that achieving such substantial economic growth is within reach if these appointees make use of the knowledge, they acquired during the retreat to go beyond the status quo, which is deemed unacceptable.
The Governor also stressed the importance of setting performance benchmarks for all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to assess the contributions of political appointees towards this transformative goal.
In his words,
- “I think that everything we have expressed here in terms of our vision is possible.
- Development history is replete with countries, sub-nationals, and cities where the people have come together and agreed that they would change the narrative, and the pattern of growth, and they committed themselves to it, and it happened.
- So, nobody should tell you that what we want to do in Enugu is impossible. With our can-do spirit, we can achieve a $30 billion economy in the next eight years. We can achieve a great city.
- We can achieve access to the best quality education that any child can have access to in the world. We can also have access to high-quality healthcare services in this state.
- We can build 10,000 kilometers of road. We can restore water to Enugu in the next two months as promised by our people and also make access to clean water happen for our people across the state in no distant time.
- We can also achieve zero poverty headcount, eradicate poverty from our state, and deliver on every promise we make. Indeed, we can make Enugu the premier destination for business, investment, tourism, and living.
- We are already thinking about the future that we want to bequeath to our children, and history beckons on all of us to do something. If we believe in it, if we have the can-do spirit, then we can make it happen.”
Chidiebere Onyia, the Secretary to the State Government, highlighted the purpose of the retreat: to understand the governor’s vision and develop strategies for its realization throughout the MDAs.
The retreat had the presence of strategy and innovation experts, including Joseph Urama, Acting Chief Economist of the African Development Bank; Ibukun Awosika; Linus Okorie; Joe Abah; Sam Onyia; and Chukwumerije Okereke, among others.