In the world today, Asia’s Singapore continues to be referenced and celebrated as the most successful development story that emerged from the 20th century. Dubbed a ‘little red dot’ on the Asian continent map, Singapore was, indeed, a tiny island third world country with little natural resources that got transformed into a prosperous, modern, smart first-world city-state thriving with rapid growth, full employment, life expectancy, education, housing and other socio-economic infrastructure milestones.
But a society does not get transformed in such a phenomenal manner without a transformative agent. Behind the Singapore success story was its former president, Lee Kuan Yew. It was Yew who, through his ingenious vision and astute leadership, led the economic transformation of Singapore into a modern-day wonder. Mr Yew passed away in 2015, but his legacy thrives on.
Closer home, comes the big question: can Anambra State repeat the Singaporean marvel under Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo? Well, if the last one year of performance in infrastructure development by the governor is anything to go by, a Singaporean experience is surely in the offing for Anambra State.
As an accomplished economist who had served as a presidential economic adviser and Central Bank Governor, Prof. Soludo came to become the Governor of Anambra State with a rich hindsight that there cannot be economic transformation without infrastructural investments. The governor took off aggressively under one of his 5-Solution policy pillars, namely Infrastructure and Economic Transformation. Today, Anambra has become what observers routinely call a ‘huge construction site’. It is neither tales by moonlight nor playing to the gallery. It is a verifiable daylight reality of concrete achievements by a quiet achiever.
Apart from roads where the government is, historically, constructing over 261 kilometers that cut across all the twenty-one local government areas, Governor Soludo has latched on to improving power supply. His government is on course to achieve a 24/7 electricity supply in the State with its master-plan being executed in collaboration with power sector partners with the ultimate goal of providing regular power in key cities in the next two years. For instance, the government signed an MOU with Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), thus building a collaborative pact that will engender the steady improvement of power supply across Anambra State.
In fact, some feeders in the state are now receiving 22 hours of power every day. Aside that, the Soludo government has also converted over 6,380 diesel-powered streetlights to solar to sustainably keep our streets well lit at night at minimum cost.
Governor Soludo is also on course in the transportation sector where his government is executing a strategic Transport Intervention Plan.
The plan encompasses the modernization of water transportation for riverside areas in the state; the construction of bus terminals at Ekwulobia, Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi; strict adherence to civil aviation safety and operational standards at Anambra airport; refurbishment and repair of existing boats and water buses; continuing work to complete the Anambra International Airport; completing a feasibility study for sky train with a pilot in Onitsha, with exploring financing options; and rejuvenating Anambra Transport Management Agency to address the traffic chaos in the state.
On industrialization, the Soludo government has developed a framework for the development of industrial cities that will catalyze rapid economic growth of the state. Fifty-three hectares of land have been acquired in Ukpo, Dunukofia Local Government Area and more is expected from Ukwulu to make it 100 hectares for the development of an export emporium and Africa’s largest shopping mall. Also, there is an ongoing engagement with the Federal Government for an Automotive Industrial Park that will be sited on the eighty hectares of land donated by Akwaihedi, Unubi and Uga communities. Already, construction has begun on a wholesale drug market at Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area to become the largest open drug distribution market in Africa while clearing has commenced on the 200 hectares of Land that will host Anambra State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Hub in Ogboji. The hub is expected to house among other things over 100 pharmaceutical companies and a pharmaceutical school.
There are numerous other infrastructure plans that are being implemented in agriculture, housing, digital technology, water and sanitation, and health care. The future for Ndi Anambra will only get better under the Solution Agenda. Anambra State is just in the first phase of replicating the Singaporean wonder.
Written by CHRISTIAN ABURIME
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