• Says Enugu on course to greatness
•Records 1,521km of roads, 7,000 classrooms, 260 PHCs, sweeping reforms
•Governor gets honorary doctorate from UK alma mater for exceptional leadership
Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
About eight months to the end of his first tenure of office, Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has unveiled a compendium of more than 10,000 milestones recorded in his administration across critical sectors of the Enugu State economy.
This was even as the governor was also yesterday conferred with a Doctor of Law Degree, honoris causa, by his alma mater, the University of East London (UEL), in the United Kingdom, citing his exceptional leadership and track records as a former student, entrepreneur, and now governor.
The compendium was headlined by over 1,521 kilometres of constructed and reconstructed roads, over 7,000 classrooms, 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres, Enugu Air and the New Enugu Smart City.
Also included are the ultramodern Enugu Command and Control Centre and other modern security infrastructure, massive investment in water infrastructure, and the revamp of moribund assets, among a host of others.
The compendium, entitled: “A Thousand and One Reasons Why Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah Should be Re-elected as Governor of Enugu State,” was presented to the public at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, and recorded major achievements that cut across
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, Mbah said the compendium aligns with the Citizens Charter, also known as Executive Order 001, which he executed immediately he was sworn into office on May 29, 2023 to emphasise his administration’s commitment to accountability, traceability and transparency.
According to the governor, the compendium highlights the administration’s philosophy of disruptive innovation and its focus on large-scale infrastructure, thus opening up rural communities, improving connectivity and creating new corridors for commerce, agriculture, investment and economic activity across Enugu State.
“It is, however, important to note that the document we are about to unveil does not entirely capture everything this government has done because, given the time it took to prepare this document, there was a cut-off point running months behind. It does not in any particular material represent the actual successful modest achievements of this government as at 9th of September 2026,” he clarified.
Mbah, while thanking millions of Enugu people, who believed in his vision and worked for his election in 2023 and urged those affected in any way by the tough decisions his administration had to make to bear with him, assuring them that what mattered was that Enugu State was on its way to greatness as a $30 billion economy and the preferred destination for investment, business, tourism, and living.
“I also want to thank all those who made sacrifices, who lost their friends because they felt supporting us was the right thing to do. I want to thank all those who invested their resources. I want to thank all those who took pains in very unimaginable circumstances to ensure that Enugu moves to the next level.
“But what you must take home with you is that our intentions are noble. What we try to do is to put Enugu State on an irreversible path of greatness. What we try to do is to ensure that Enugu will not compete with Nigeria or within Nigeria,” he added.
In his welcome address, the Secretary to Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the state had pursued an extensive urban development agenda, including the New Enugu Smart City, environmental sustainability and urban renewal.
He added that the State’s fiscal architecture had undergone significant reform through revenue automation, reforms at the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, improved financial management, the Treasury Single Account, enterprise resource planning and broader institutional restructuring.
According to him, the administration had also sustained investments in youth empowerment, women development, technology, skills acquisition, social protection, tourism, environmental sustainability and community development.
He said the ultimate goal is to improve the lives of the people. “Behind every project is a community; behind every policy is a citizen; and behind every statistic is a human being whose life the government seeks to improve,” he concluded.
Various speakers at the event, which brought together political leaders, traditional and religious leaders, captains of industry, professionals, public servants and other stakeholders, commended the administration for the scale and spread of its interventions across the State.
Meanwhile, Mbah’s excellence in leadership reverberated during the graduation ceremony of the University of East London at its Docklands Campus.
Presenting Mbah’s citation for the award of Doctor of Law, honoris causa, Vice-Provost (Business) and Executive Dean, Royal Docks School of Business and Law, Prof. Fatima Ana-Diab, recalled his academic and leadership excellence as a student, which she said had also translated to resounding success as an entrepreneur and governor of Enugu State, Nigeria.
“Peter’s leadership was already evident during his time at UEL. As President of the Students’ Law Society, he helped transform the society into one recognised as the University’s Most Productive Society of the Year.
“He represented his fellow students on the Students’ Representative Council and School of Law Board, won UEL’s Mooting Competition and went on to represent the University at the International Negotiation Competition.
“After graduating with his Bachelor of Laws in 2000, Peter returned to Nigeria, where he attended the Nigerian Law School and was called to the Nigerian Bar.
“His pursuit of knowledge continued through a Master’s degree in Maritime and Commercial Law from Lagos State University, an MBA from IESE Business School in Spain, executive education at Lagos Business School and postgraduate study in Strategy and Innovation at the University of Oxford.
“Peter went on to build a distinguished career spanning law, entrepreneurship and public service. As the founder of Pinnacle Oil and Gas, he demonstrated how ambition, innovation and enterprise can transform an organisation and contribute to economic development. His career in government has included service as Chief of Staff and Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development in Enugu State.
“In May 2023, Peter Mbah took office as Governor of Enugu State, bringing his experience across law, business and public administration to the leadership of millions of people,” Prof. Ana-Diab stated.
“At the heart of his approach is a belief in the transformative power of education. His administration has made significant investment in education and skills, seeking to move learning beyond traditional models and equip young people with the knowledge, competencies and confidence to participate in a changing global economy,” she said.
The university lauded Mbah’s understanding of education as the cornerstone of human progress and the bedrock upon which the future stands, noting also that his journey from the UEL to Enugu Government House “demonstrates the possibilities that education can unlock and the responsibility that comes with using those opportunities to create change for others.”
“His commitment to development extends beyond education. Through public service, business and philanthropy, Peter has championed investment, innovation, infrastructure, healthcare and community development, bringing together the disciplines that have shaped his own career to pursue a wider vision for economic and social progress.
“For our graduates today, his journey offers a powerful example of where a UEL education can lead. It reminds us that leadership is not defined simply by the positions we hold, but by what we choose to do with the knowledge, opportunities and influence entrusted to us,” Ana-Diab stated.
In his acceptance speech, Mbah reiterated his firm belief in disruptive innovation, the power of education, service, and dreaming beyond one’s inherited circumstances.
“One quality has always mattered to me: the willingness to disrupt. I have never been particularly interested in accepting the limits of my inherited circumstances. But imagination is not enough. There must be purpose. For me, that purpose is service,” he said.
He maintained that education “enlarges our capacity to transform the world.”
He explained: “That is why today we invest 33 per cent of our state budget in education. We are building schools, tech hubs and opportunities for young people to participate in an economy that is increasingly driven by knowledge, innovation and technology,” he pointed out.
Mbah also thanked his alma mater profoundly for the honour and the institution’s immense contributions to the man he has become.