Jonathan Eze
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State, Chief Uche Nnaji, has unveiled an ambitious industrialisation agenda for the state, projecting more than $4 billion in foreign direct investment and the creation of over 50,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Nnaji, who disclosed the plan on Friday in Lagos, identified coal, iron ore and cement as three strategic industrial sectors that would form the foundation of his proposed economic transformation agenda, leveraging Enugu’s abundant natural resources.
He spoke at Alaba International Market, Ojo, where Igbo traders and members of the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPAMDA) hosted him for an engagement on his vision and development plans for Enugu State.
The PDP candidate said his administration, if elected, would prioritise the establishment of industries capable of processing the state’s natural resources locally, creating employment opportunities, generating revenue and ensuring that host communities benefit directly from the exploitation of their resources.
“My administration will focus on three industries that we expect to attract more than $4 billion in foreign direct investment. These industries will absorb more than 50,000 people in direct and indirect employment.
“We need to help our people. That is what I am interested in. I am not interested in making money as a governor or acquiring wealth. God has helped me already, and it is time for me to help my people and make Enugu work again,” he said.
Reflecting on his political journey, Nnaji recalled that he won a senatorial election in 1999 but voluntarily relinquished the mandate to former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, whom he considered more experienced and better positioned to serve at the time.
He said his subsequent appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria further exposed him to the possibilities of purposeful leadership and people-oriented governance.
On the proposed industrialisation drive, Nnaji identified coal as one of Enugu’s greatest economic assets, arguing that the state could generate substantially more value from the resource through local processing and the development of downstream industries.
He expressed concern over what he described as the uncontrolled extraction and transportation of raw coal from communities around Awhum, particularly the limited economic benefits accruing to the host communities.
According to him, about 100 trailer-loads of coal are transported out of the area daily, with little corresponding development for the communities from which the resource is extracted.
“If you are from Awhum or areas around Awhum where they take coal these days, they just dig our coal and take it out without care for the environment. If you go there at night, you will cry when you see the number of vehicles carrying raw coal away.
“At least 100 trailers of raw coal are trucked away every day from our land, leaving behind no benefit to the community. You can send any of your people to investigate this,” he said.
Nnaji further alleged that the government collects about N250,000 for every truck of coal taken out of the community daily, yet the host communities continue to suffer from inadequate government attention and infrastructure.
He said his administration would reverse the trend by establishing coal-based industries and ensuring that the economic benefits of resource extraction translate into development for the affected communities.
“That is why we want to pay attention to this area by creating coal-related industries, an industry that has many multipliers and added value,” he said.
Explaining the economic opportunities in coal processing, Nnaji said the resource could serve as the raw material for the production of industrial chemicals, including dimethyl ether, methanol, ammonia and urea, with opportunities for further downstream manufacturing.
He noted that the production of methanol and other industrial inputs could attract long-term commercial agreements with international buyers, while investments in ammonia and urea production could position Enugu as an important player in the fertiliser market.
Citing Indorama’s urea production operations as an example of the economic potential of large-scale industrial investments, he argued that similar ventures in Enugu could generate substantial returns for the state and its people.
He said the revenue model would also reduce the state’s dependence on monthly allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), while providing resources for infrastructure and other development priorities.
“This is what a thinking government should know. From methanol, if you want to extend it, you can generate other products like polypropylene and polyethylene, which are among the largest-selling commodities in the world,” he added.
Beyond coal, the PDP candidate said Enugu also possessed commercially viable iron ore deposits across parts of Udi, Oji River, Nachi and Nsukka, with some deposits extending towards neighbouring areas of Anambra State.
He said the deposits presented opportunities for iron and steel-related industries, while the state’s limestone and other mineral resources could support cement production and associated manufacturing activities.
Nnaji maintained that even coal alone, if properly harnessed through industrial processing, could become a major economic asset for Enugu, potentially delivering benefits comparable to those associated with crude oil-producing economies.
He attributed his exposure to the economic possibilities of coal-based industrialisation to his ministerial engagements in Malaysia, where he said he visited industrial facilities twice and participated in the commissioning of a plant.
According to him, those experiences reinforced his conviction that Enugu could build a sustainable industrial economy by transforming its natural resources into finished and intermediate products, rather than continuing to export them in their raw form.
He said his vision was to create an economy in which industrial investments generate jobs, stimulate local businesses, expand the state’s revenue base and improve the living standards of residents.