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Next Tuesday , Governor Chukwuma Soludo will be starting his second term in office as governor of Anambra State. Those who have observed Governor Soludo’s administration in the last four years would notice the very intentional and strategic initiatives that are being implemented to transform Anambra into one of Nigeria’s most productive regional economies.
And no metaphor describes this better than the concept of the African Dubai Taiwan & Silicon Valley . This is in line with Anambra’s Vision 2070 — a 50- year development blueprint submitted to Governor Willie Obiano in March 2022. Coincidentally, Governor Soludo chaired the committee that produced this document. Anambra’s Vision 2070 reflects the belief that true economic transformation requires consistent policy direction across multiple administrations rather than short political cycles. We see this in Lagos State. Most of the big projects –– i.e. Lagos Rail Mass Transit , Bus Rapid Transit System, Lekki Free Trade Zone, Eko Atlantic City, etc. — that have transformed the landscape of Lagos were initiated between 1999 and 2007, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was governor of Lagos. Because multiple administrations have continued on Tinubu’s vision and developmental strategy, Lagos has been able to solidify its transportation infrastructure, economic zone status and institutional reforms. This column believes that Soludo’s 2006 ADTS concept is on track. In 2006, in a keynote speech to the League of Anambra Professionals during the Anambra State Economic Development Summit in Awka, Chukwuma Soludo, who was then the governor of Nigeria’s central bank, muted the idea, in a speech titled: “Anambra 2030: Envisioning the African Dubai, Taiwan & Silicon Valley ”. In this speech, Governor Soludo described Anambra as: a sleeping giant; a state rich in human capital; a highly urbanized state; a strategically located state which could be a massive commercial hub. Unfortunately, as argued by Governor Soludo in that 2006 speech, despite these advantages, ‘’Anambra had failed to translate individual success into collective prosperity’’. He further argued that with bold vision and strategy, the state could evolve into something resembling Dubai and Taiwan. Dubai in his speech refers to – a hub for commerce, infrastructure, and global business; Taiwan refers to a hub for manufacturing and industrial clusters; Silicon Valley – reflecting the potential for Anambra to transform to a technology and innovation hub because of its enormous human resources.ADT is “a metaphor for a highly productive and globally competitive Anambra.” It is a bold vision, which was birthed in 2006 with measurable and implementable timelines in Anambra Vision 2070 document. This column believes that the continuous mainstreaming of the ADT phrase serves many purposes. It could serve as a communication tool for Anambra’s bold vision. It tells investors that the state wants to be globally competitive and how it wishes to position itself. It condenses a complex economic plan into a memorable slogan. It pushes citizens to imagine a global-standard future. In this phrase, Dubai and Taiwan are symbols of rapid transformation. No society can develop without the kind of philosophy ADTS is build on. The ADT metaphor symbolizes a prosperous, highly productive and globally competitive Anambra. It is not about the simplistic notion of having skyscrapers like in Dubai. Though these skyscrapers will come as Anambra State prospers but the vision is beyond the simplistic mindset of tall buildings. With Governors Soludo’s aggressive urban renewal across Anambra, fight against insecurity and the massive investment in tourism, education and healthcare, this column believes that Anambra is on track to achieve the status of a ‘megacity’. Besides, without these investments by the Soludo-led administration, in 2070 – with an estimated population of 38 million – the little space called Anambra would be inhabitable. Thus, well-meaning Ndi Anambra must support Governor Soludo’s bold vision. The next four years, will be characterized by massive investments in Anambra Mixed Used Industrial City , the higher education ecosystem in the state, tourism infrastructure, Anambra’s tech and innovation ecosystem, electricity and multimodal transportation infrastructure. Three brand new cities will be built – they are already being constructed. None of these cities is less than 5,000 hectares. It will be a period Anambra State will be changing gears after setting all the required foundations in the last 4 years.Governor Soludo’s foundation setting in the last four years has been eventful. In the last four years, over 2000km of roads have been made motorable and 848km of brand-new roads have been constructed . Massive infrastructure such as Public Water Schemes, Fun City, Government House, new cities have been rebuilt. Millions of residents have benefited from the free healthcare and education policy. Security, law and order has been restored in the state. Today, under Governor Soludo’s watch, the state aims at combining the commercial trading strength of the Igbo economy and its industrial manufacturing capacity to create prosperity for Ndi Igbo. Major hubs like Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia and Awka will play key roles in this transformation. The years ahead – between 2026 to 2030 – will be eventful for Anambra. Many reforms initiated in Governor Soludo’s first term will be visible in the next four years. The foundation has been laid!BREAKING: FAAC gets 100% of PSC profit oil as Tinubu’s executive order takes effect
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