ANALYSIS: Significance of Enugu government’s projects commissioned by Tinubu

It was a remarkable day in Enugu State on 4 January.

The streets and major roads in the South-eastern state bore evidence that something big was in the offing: Posters and billboards bearing photographs of President Bola Tinubu, welcoming him to Enugu were common sights.

Mr Tinubu was billed to commission some projects executed by Governor Peter Mbah. It was Mr Tinubu’s first visit to the South-east since he was elected Nigeria’s president in 2023.

Some of the projects commissioned by the president were the 30 completed and equipped ‘Enugu Smart Green Schools’ out of 260 under construction across the 260 wards in the state and 60 completed and equipped Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) out of 260 under construction across the 260 wards in the state.

Others included a multi-auditorium and multi-functional Enugu International Conference Centre, 90 completed urban roads in Enugu City, a Command and Control Centre, and 150 patrol vehicles fitted with AI-embedded surveillance cameras.

PREMIUM TIMES assesses the significance of these projects to the people of Enugu State.

Enugu Smart Green Schools

In his first full-year budget for 2024, Governor Mbah signalled his interest in investing in the education sector by allocating N134.5 billion, 33 per cent of the N521.5 billion budget.

The allocation was above the 15 to 20 per cent recommended by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

In the 2025 budget, the governor did the same thing, allocating N320.6 billion to the education sector, representing 33.2 per cent of the N971 billion budget.

In 2024, Mr Mbah flagged off the construction of ‘smart schools’ in the 260 wards in the state. According to the governor, the schools would admit children for nursery, primary, and secondary education.

“They (children at the smart schools) will be exposed to a modern learning environment. This will see a transition from chalkboard to smart boards, and our pupils will no longer struggle with notebooks as they will be given notepads for their lesson notes,” the governor said during a town hall meeting in March 2024.

“We expect that when you talk about an Enugu child, you are talking about a smart ICT child.”

President Tinubu commissioned 30 completed smart schools out of 260 under construction across the state. Experts say the schools will transform the education sector in Enugu.

Chioma Anikwe, a JSS III student of Enugu State Smart Green School, Owo told PREMIUM TIMES that, unlike her previous conventional school, the smart school has exposed her to endless opportunities in digital technology.

“Unlike my previous school, here in this smart school, we have digital libraries, digital classrooms, boards and a lot of things that are meaningful for learning,” Ms Anikwe, 14, said.

“Even the teaching method here is different. For instance, they teach us here using an experiential learning method: learning by experience,” she stated, expressing gratitude to the governor for the initiative.

On her part, the school’s head teacher, Juliet Okey-Ezeh, explained that the experiential learning method was more practical than theoretical.

“Unlike the traditional method of teaching where the teacher writes on the board, talks and explains while the learner just listens and copies notes, in smart schools, instead of talking, copying notes, you do practical of what you are telling the learners.

“With the smart boards, you bring it live on the board and make learning fun. You can download things like pictures and films, and the learners will see them in the class,” Ms Okey-Ezeh said.

“In smart schools, we graduate students as problem solvers: People that will take charge of their communities,” the head teacher added.

Eric Nwagu, an educationist, told PREMIUM TIMES that the smart schools, which are in line with the 21st-century education programme, will help pupils become “digital natives” who can compete with their colleagues globally.

“It is going to impact positively and bring about many changes in the young ones. If the facilities needed are there and they are using the right curriculum, inculcating global competencies in them (pupils), then the state will fly,” said Mr Nwagu, a professor at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN).

The professor who lectures at UNN’s education faculty said while the initiative is laudable, the challenge lies in sustaining it in the state.

“What happens eight years after Mbah has completed his tenure as governor? Perhaps there should be a law that whoever will take over as governor must continue that way.”

Type-2 PHCs

Like the smart schools, Governor Mbah had flagged off the construction of Type-2 PHCs across the state’s 260 wards. At the time of the commissioning, 60 PHCs had been completed and equipped, while 200 others were still under construction.

For Tanimola Akande, a public health physician, Governor Mbah’s construction of PHC facilities in Enugu State would improve access to healthcare, particularly for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children in rural areas.

“This effort should help improve the health indices in the state,” said Mr Akande, a professor of public health.

The public health expert, however, urged the state government to complement the effort by providing adequate health workers who can provide 24-hour service in the PHCs.

“Other states in Nigeria need to emulate this and ensure functional PHC facilities. This will go a long way in the journey towards Universal Health Coverage,” he stated.

Like other projects, the construction of the PHCs will provide job opportunities to unemployed Nigerians in the state.

Enugu International Conference Centre

The excitement that greeted the commissioning of the Enugu International Conference Centre did not surprise those familiar with its history.

The landmark project was initiated by the administration of Chimaroke Nnamani, who governed the state from 1999 to 2007. Despite the billions of naira budgeted for the project, Mr Nnamani exited office without completing it.

Successive administration in Enugu failed to complete the project despite allocating billions of naira in their annual budgets.

For instance, the immediate past governor of the state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, budgeted about N2.1 billion in 2021 for the project but exited office in 2023 without completing it.

So, when Governor Mbah promised to complete the project, many thought it would end up like previous promises. But it is now a reality.

Residents who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES believe the conference centre will increase Enugu’s economy and enhance tourism in the state.

“It is a very outstanding development for Enugu State,” Daniel Ukwu, an Enugu-based realtor, told this newspaper.

“That’s the most outstanding investment because apart from the job opportunities it provides, the issue of revenue generation has been made possible. This is because big conferences that were supposed to be held in Enugu had been shifted to other states,” Mr Ukwu said.

“The conference centre is a big plus even in terms of tourism.”

Urban Roads in Enugu City

Ninety completed urban roads were among the projects executed by Mr Mbah’s administration and commissioned by Mr Tinubu.

Several commercial bus drivers and commuters who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES across the state said the newly built roads had reduced gridlocks often experienced on the state’s roads.

Chika Udeh, a commuter, said there was minimal gridlock in the state during the last Christmas festivities.

Like the drivers and commuters, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Enugu State, Frank Agbakoba, told PREMIUM TIMES that the newly built roads had aided freer human and vehicular movements within the Enugu metropolis.

“If you look at the new road designs, especially at the Haven Junction, there is no longer traffic congestion there like before. It is a good initiative. It has eased traffic flow,” Mr Agbakoba said of the road projects.

Aside from the ease of traffic flow, the road projects are expected to reduce road crashes in the state.

Command and Control Centre, 150 vehicles with AI-embedded surveillance cameras

Although Enugu is arguably the safest state in the South-east, it has recorded deadly attacks by criminals such as kidnappers, bandits and terrorists.

However, the recent launch and commissioning of the state’s Command and Control Centre, as well as the 150 patrol vehicles fitted with AI-embedded surveillance cameras, will boost the security of lives and property in Enugu, one expert said.

“The Command and Control Centre is a good initiative for Enugu State. In this initiative, they have cameras installed in certain locations within the metropolis.

“So basically what Governor Mbah has done is such that if anything is happening in any part of the state, they will be able to pick up the threat and communicate to people in the field,” Nnamdi Anekwe, a security expert, said.

“So, it is an excellent initiative to assist field operatives to communicate and be able to find the bad people on the streets and go after them. Therefore, it will help in improving security within the coverage area,” he noted.