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By Prof Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr

In less than three years in office, Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah has emerged as one of Nigeria’s most visionary and results-oriented State leaders. Through a blend of innovation, technology, fiscal discipline, and bold reforms, Mbah is steadily transforming Enugu State from a once “civil service economy” into a thriving hub of productivity, smart economy driven by technology, and inclusive growth.

His leadership style which is rooted in measurable goals, performance-driven governance, and technological disruption of the status quo has redefined what it means to govern in the 21st century.

A Governor with a Vision and a Plan

From the onset, Mbah made his intentions clear, he told Ndi’Enugu that he wants to grow Enugu’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from $4.4 billion to $30 billion within eight years, and that he wants to make Enugu State number one on the Performance chart of State Governments. Unlike political rhetoric, this vision was backed by a detailed development blueprint emphasizing innovation, infrastructure, and human capital development.

Today, Enugu’s trajectory under Mbah is unmistakably upward. His approach to governance is systematic, strategic, and data-driven, these and more are the qualities that have earned him admiration across political and economic circles.

Breaking Barriers Through Disruptive Governance.

Governor Mbah’s mantra, “Disruptive Innovation in Governance,” isn’t a slogan, it’s a governing philosophy.
He has dismantled old bureaucracies and built new systems of transparency and efficiency. The Enugu Geographic Information Service (ENGIS), for instance, has digitized over 80% of land titles, cutting approval times from months to just days and eliminating corruption-prone manual processes.

This “business unusual” approach has made Enugu one of Nigeria’s easiest States for investors to operate in.

Solving a 20-Year Water Crisis.

Perhaps one of the most tangible testament to Mbah’s results-oriented leadership is the restoration of Enugu’s long-abandoned water system. For nearly two decades, residents of the State capital survived on tanker water and boreholes. Within his first year, Mbah revived the 9th Mile and Oji River Water Schemes, raising production from just 2 million to over 120 million litres per day.
Today, taps are flowing again across the metropolis, a milestone many thought impossible.

Economic Reforms and Revenue Revolution.

Under Mbah’s fiscal stewardship, Enugu’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) soared from about ₦37 billion in 2022 to ₦144.7 billion by late 2024, an increase of nearly 300%.
Interestingly, this was achieved without imposing new taxes. Instead, the administration widened the tax net, digitized revenue systems, and encouraged formalization of small businesses.

With stronger finances, Enugu is now funding large-scale infrastructure and social projects without borrowing, a rarity in today’s Nigeria.

Education and Human Capital as Cornerstones.

Mbah’s focus on education is sweeping and futuristic. His administration is constructing 260 Smart Green Schools, one per ward, each equipped with digital whiteboards, robotics labs, and high-speed internet. The initiative aims to groom a generation of students who are globally competitive and technologically literate.

In Healthcare, a matching project is ongoing, the Peter Mbah administration is building, and in some cases upgrading a total 260 Primary Health Centres, ensuring that no community is more than a short walk from quality medical services.

Urban Renewal and the Birth of a Smart City.

The New Enugu City Project, sprawling across over 10,000 hectares, exemplifies Mbah’s ambition to turn Enugu into a smart, sustainable, and modern metropolis. The development will host residential estates, business districts, and green corridors designed to accommodate over 300,000 residents, and this clearly is a bold leap toward future-ready urbanization.

Power, Security, and Digital Transformation.

Enugu was among the first States in Nigeria to domesticate the power decentralization Act. Mbah’s government enacted the Enugu State Electricity Law 2023, making Enugu one of the first States to regulate its own power market under the national decentralization policy. Simultaneously, the State has deployed an AI-powered Command and Control Centre with drones, CCTV, and facial-recognition systems, drastically improving safety and emergency response thus making Enugu State one of safest in the Country.

Fiscal Discipline.

A key pillar of the administration is not to borrow irresponsibly but to expand state capacity and revenues.

Budget estimates grew from ₦166 billion in 2023 to ₦521.5 billion in 2024, with about 79% allocated to capital expenditure, signalling development focus.

Agriculture, Industry And Job Creation.

Agriculture: Large-scale mechanised farming, revitalisation of moribund Agro-industries (e.g., Palm production), and farm-estate development across the 17 local government areas mark key interventions.

Industry: Legacy firms such as Sunrise Flour Mills and United Palm Products Ltd. are being revived, while new industrial parks and a tractor-assembly plant are being developed.

Transport And Aviation: In a bold move, the state inaugurated its own state-owned airline, “Enugu Air”, and is building modern public transport terminals and CNG-bus fleets.

The mass-transit system (Bus shelters, terminals, CNG buses) strengthens intra-city mobility, reduces congestion and supports the liveability of the State capital.

Digital And Institutional Reform.

Governor Mbah’s team recognizes that bricks and mortar must be matched with systems and governance.

A vast fibre-optic rollout (nearly 380 km of cables) and high-tech command-control and surveillance systems underscore the State’s move into the digital era.

Land titling, business registration and tax/revenue systems have been revamped using digital platforms, reducing red-tape and boosting internally-generated revenue (IGR) significantly.

Institutional restructuring: For example, in July 2025 the government created a new Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources and conducted a cabinet re-shuffle to sharpen capacities.

Looking Ahead: The Next Steps.

Going into the third year of his term, Governor Mbah has signalled his intent to consolidate gains and deepen reforms. And he is apparently committed to creating more jobs. Transport hubs, Agro-industrial estates, Logistic terminals, and Skill Acquisition Centres across the State.

Scaling Investor Attraction: With new institutions and digitized processes, the State hopes to continue to attract local and foreign direct investment.

Peter Mbah’s administration in Enugu State is nothing if not ambitious. With a clear blueprint, rapid execution of infrastructure and governance reforms, and a focus on transforming systems, the blueprint is visible. Whether the full vision ditto turning Enugu into a US $30 billion economy will be realised depends on sustained execution, private-sector leverage and inclusive growth. And evidently the “Talk-And-Do Governor”, as referred to by several commentators, reflects the tone he has set and the momentum he has generated.

In the sequel to this series, I shall furnish you with further data and details regarding this young man and Governor who is MAD (Making A Difference) in governance, and increasingly transforming and redefining leadership in Nigeria.

Prof Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr is the Convener of the COUNTRYFIRST MOVEMENT, a good governance advocacy group.

This post has already been read at least 115 times!