LarryBravo Nwaiwu
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has pledged continued partnership with the Enugu State Government in driving transformative development, praising Governor Peter Mbah for his bold and visionary leadership that is setting new standards for inclusive growth and development in Nigeria and beyond.
This commitment was made on Thursday when the UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, paid a working visit to Governor Mbah at the Government House, Enugu, where they discussed deepening collaboration in areas such as education, healthcare, digital economy, energy, innovation, and trade.
Ms. Attafuah extolled Mbah’s ambitious development roadmap, highlighting the recent launch of Enugu Air as a powerful symbol of regional integration and global connectivity.
“We are delighted to see the bold and ambitious plans you have for Enugu State. The launch of Enugu Air is a bridge we do not take for granted. It connects Enugu to Nigeria, Africa, and the rest of the world. Thank you for this bold leadership,” she said.
She lauded Mbah’s Smart Green School initiative as a model for climate-smart education, adding that it aligned strongly with UNDP’s Integrated Smart State Offer, a development blueprint emphasizing innovation, digitalization, and resilience.
“You are bringing inspiration to Nigeria, to Africa, and to the world. Your goal to grow the state’s GDP to $30 billion by 2030 is laudable, and we are here to support you”, she stated.
She disclosed UNDP’s plans to create a University Innovation Network across Nigeria, including Enugu, with facilities such as 3D printers, CNC machines, and enterprise hubs to help young innovators to turn ideas into businesses, adding that community level innovation centers and energy partnerships would also support local entrepreneurship and address structural development challenges.
Citing examples of successful initiatives in other parts of the country, she emphasized the importance of energy access, saying, “Without reliable power, industrialization, health, and education will stall.”
“That is why we are keen to support states like Enugu with mini-grid solutions and energy resilience,” she added.
On trade and tourism, Attafuah stressed that Enugu’s strategic location and entrepreneurial population made it ideal for regional leadership in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), citing the recent UNDP trade corridor deals with Ugandan Airlines that cut export costs by 50 per cent for Nigerian SMEs, and said that Enugu could benefit from similar frameworks.
“Tourism is a billion dollar industry that can drive jobs and prosperity. If a tourist stays one week, they’ll buy local snacks and that means someone has earned a living. We must start seeing the full value chain”, she added.
She also proposed timmediate collaboration on teacher deployment, saying UNDP could provide thousands of tech-savvy graduate volunteers to support Enugu’s Smart Schools initiative at no cost to the state.
Responding, Governor Peter Mbah expressed strong enthusiasm for the partnership, describing UNDP’s offer as both timely and in alignment with his government’s core priorities.
“This is a case where preparedness meets opportunity. We realized from the beginning that to grow our economy and tackle insecurity, we must invest heavily in human capital,” he stressed.
He outlined his administration’s investments in 260 Smart Green Schools, each equipped with digital boards, robotics labs, ICT hub, and staffed by trained teachers, as part of a broader education reform that emphasizes experiential learning from infancy.
“We’re not just building classrooms; we are creating creativity hubs where kids can begin solving real life problems from primary one. We are moving away from rote learning to problem-solving and innovation-driven learning,” he stated.
Governor Mbah said that by September, the state would be feeding over 300,000 schoolcchildren daily, providing each school with a health facility and registered nurse for routine health checks, vaccines, and nutrition support.
On healthcare, the Governor noted that 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres were also under construction in each political ward in the state to ensure universal access, stressing that no community was left behind.
“Inclusivity is the philosophy that underpins our programs. No child in Enugu, rural or urban, will be left behind”, he said.
He also echoed UNDP’s emphasis on digital skills and innovation, highlighting the state’s plans to train 40,000 youths in tech-based outsourcing and practical trades like fashion design, supported by infrastructure such as a digital industrial park and garment Hubs.
“We don’t want our youths to japa physically; we want their skills to japa. They should stay in Nigeria, earn globally, and contribute locally,” the governor emphasized.
Mbah said his administration was intentional about transforming Enugu into a $30 billion economy by building the right enablers, from education and healthcare to infrastructure and aviation, adding: “The launch of Enugu Air is part of our strategy to restore Enugu’s pre-eminence as a regional hub for travel, trade and tourism. We are building a five-star hotel, revitalizing our waterfalls and other tourism assets, and targeting three million visitors annually.”
By Winifred Bosa
Dr Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman/CEO, FIRS 
