Governor Peter Mbah has inspected several key infrastructure projects across Enugu State ahead of their planned inauguration in the coming weeks.
The projects visited during the inspection tour include the 40-kilometre Owo–Ubahu–Amankanu–Umualor–Neke–Ikem dual carriageway, the 14.5-kilometre Amechi Idodo–Oruku–Amagunze Road, the New Enugu Smart City project, and the Enugu International Hospital located on Rangers Avenue in Enugu.
Mbah, who will mark his third anniversary in office on May 29, said the projects form part of his administration’s strategy to transform the state’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion and position Enugu as a leading destination for investment, business, tourism and quality living.
Speaking to journalists during the inspection, the governor described the 40km dual carriageway as a strategic economic corridor and a new access route linking the state to northern Nigeria.
“We are just 600 metres away from the main road that takes you to Obollo Afor. That simply means that this is a brand new gateway to the North,” Mbah said.
“It means our people can now travel to the North Central without going through 9th Mile or Opi Nsukka, and within a few hours, you are in Abuja.”
According to the governor, the road project extends beyond transportation, offering significant economic benefits by improving access to agricultural communities and markets.
“It is a major gateway that connects our people to opportunities and connects communities to farmlands. What we see here are opportunities and wealth because our people can now go into farming without worrying about evacuating their produce,” he stated.
Mbah expressed satisfaction with the pace of work on the project, commending contractor China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) for maintaining progress toward the completion deadline.
He said the contractors were given a strict end-of-May timeline and had deployed multiple work teams operating round the clock to meet the schedule.
“We gave the contractors a strict timeline to deliver this road, and to achieve that, they had to deploy several streams of workforce and work day and night,” he said.
He added that the government had fulfilled its obligations by ensuring prompt release of funds and expressed optimism that the road would be inaugurated within weeks.
Mbah also stressed that his administration was focused not only on speedy execution but also on maintaining high construction standards.
“We are not just interested in speed; we are equally interested in quality. CCCC is among the world’s biggest construction companies, and we are pleased with the standard of work delivered so far,” he said.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expanding rural road infrastructure to unlock economic opportunities across the state.
He cited ongoing projects including the dualisation of the 44.1km Enugu–Ugwogo Nike–Opi Nsukka Road, as well as completed and newly launched road projects connecting several rural communities.
Among them are the 44.3km Ama–Eke–Oghe–Iwolo–Olo–Umulokpa Road and the recently flagged-off 52.2km Lejja–Aku–Ukehe–Akpakume Nze–Egede–Affa–Eke Road.
At the completed Amechi Idodo–Oruku–Amagunze Road project, Mbah announced plans to extend the route to the headquarters of Nkanu East Local Government Council.
The governor also inspected the New Enugu Smart City project, where he praised the quality and pace of development.
According to him, the initial 6.5km dual carriageway within the smart city has been completed, while work is progressing rapidly on secondary and tertiary roads covering the first 1,000 hectares of the planned 10,000-hectare development.
