In a public lecture titled “Enugu State, Nigeria: New Political Leadership; Bold Economic Vision – Spotlight on the Health and Education Strategies” delivered at the London School of Economics, Dr. Peter Mbah, the Governor of Enugu State, criticized Nigeria’s presidential federalism for concentrating excessive powers and revenues at the center, hindering the socio-economic progress of states.
Mbah compared Nigeria’s federal structure to a scenario where a man with 36 children only allowed a few to work the family’s farmland, leading to their exhaustion and the family’s subsequent hardships. He emphasized the need to rethink the nation’s production strategy amidst challenges, pointing out the importance of devolving powers to states.
While praising the transfer of railways and power to the Concurrent List to involve states in these sectors, Mbah applauded the discussions and inclination of the President Bola Tinubu Administration towards further devolution of powers to the federating units.
Mbah highlighted the crucial role of leadership in addressing Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges, emphasizing the need for visionary, people-centered, and transformative leaders. He outlined his administration’s ambitious goals, including a seven-fold increase in Enugu State’s GDP and achieving zero poverty headcount index within a specified timeframe.
The Governor underscored his administration’s significant investments in security, health, education, agriculture, and water sectors as part of the comprehensive strategy to revitalize the state’s economy within the existing constitutional framework.
