The Enugu State Government has approved the sum of N183 billion for the construction of 141 roads across Enugu metropolis and 20 rural roads across the three senatorial zones of the state.

The government has also approved the award of 133 more smart schools in addition to the ongoing 127 smart schools to bring the total to 260, or one smart school per political ward.

The approvals were disclosed at the end of the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Peter Mbah at the Government House, Enugu, at the weekend.

Briefing newsmen at the end of the Exco meeting, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the projects were in furtherance of Governor Peter Mbah’s determination to grow the state’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion, achieve a zero per cent poverty headcount index, and position Enugu State as the premier destination for business, investment, tourism, and living in four to eight years.

“Recall that before now, the state’s total budget hovered around N100 billion and N120 billion with capital expenditure of about N30 billion, or a capital expenditure to budget ratio of about 25 to 35 per cent.

“However, in keeping with Governor Mbah’s promise to de-risk investments, boost production, and run a lean and prudent government, the governor proposed an unprecedented N521.5 billion 2024 budget with capital expenditure totalling over N400 billion, which is equivalent to a capital expenditure to budget ratio of about 80 per cent and a recurrent expenditure ratio of about 20 per cent.

“Accordingly, the theme that we took away from Exco today is doubling down. The government is doubling down on infrastructure. If you recall, we started with 71 urban roads and 10 rural roads last year. Now, the governor and the Executive Council have also approved 141 urban roads and 20 rural roads.

“It is noteworthy that although the rural roads are 20 in number, compared to 141 in Enugu metropolis, they are actually longer, nearly three times those approved for Enugu urban in terms of kilometres.

“This is part of the strategies to improve the quality of life in the rural communities and, importantly, to de-risk investments in agriculture. Outside security, which we are effectively dealing with, the big challenge is to scale up the production and movement of produce from farmlands to the market. We also understand the need for processing, hence the heavy investments in road infrastructure,” Prof. Onyia stated.

Giving a breakdown of the roads, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Gerald Otiji, said the roads covered in this phase included the dualisation of the 41.3km Abakpa Nike-Opi-Nsukka Road with bridges; dualisation of Penocks Junction-Nike Lake Road to T-Junction Flyover; Nomeh-Mburubu-Nara Road with two bridges; Umabi-Ehuhe Achi with a spur to Agbudu-Ihe-Owelli-Ogugu by Enugu-Port Harcourt old road; Nomeh-Oduma Road; Mburubu-Nkereffi Road; and Amodu-Akpugo Road.

Also approved were Iheaka-Ibagwa Road; Ibagwa-Itchi-Unadu-Alor Agu-Ibeje Road; Amagunze-Ihuokpara-Ugbawka Road with a bridge; Obeleagu Umana (Nkwo Ezeagu)-Omughu Umana-Aguobu-Umumba Road; Nara-Nkerefi Road with a bridge; Amagunze-Akpawfu Road; Amagu-Attakwu-Akegbe Ugwu-Akpasha Road; Obinagu Udi-Isu Awa Road; and Nsukka-Ibagwa-Ogurute-Ette Road.

Others included Obuofia-Obeagu-Akegbe Ugwu Road; Obinofia-Ndiagu-Ugwuoba Road by Enugu-Onitsha expressway; Orie Engine-Aguobu-Umumba-Ebenebe Road to Anambra State border; Ituku Roads; Ozalla Roads; among others.

Otiji further explained that in selecting the 141 roads for construction and reconstruction, the government was deliberate in ensuring that all the zones, namely, Emene, Thinkers Corner, Abakpa, Trans Ekulu/New GRA/Old GRA, Awkunanaw (Achara Layout/Uwani/Gariki), Independence Layout, Ogui/Asata, and Coal Camp were covered.

Also briefing Government House correspondents, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Barr. Lloyd Ekweremadu, and the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Aka Eze Aka, said the Executive Council was also briefed on the ongoing hi-tech security surveillance camera installations around the state and the planned turnaround and upgrade of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.

Meanwhile, pursuant to its agriculture and agro-industrialisation drive, the Mbah administration said it had built nearly 200,000 hectares into its Land Bank for agricultural purposes across its Produce Cities in the 17 LGAs of the state, which would now be boosted by the construction of the rural roads.

It has so far leased 15,000 hectares of land at Ikem Nkwo to Ugwu Anama Farms Enugu SPV Limited for the cultivation of crops; 2,000 hectares at Eha-Amufu to Atlantico Farms and Agro Concepts Limited for crop production and another 100 hectares for the establishment of an ultra-modern feed mill and poultry farm; 20,000 hectares to Sujimoto Group for the cultivation of rice and development of an agro-industrial processing park at Odenigbo, Eha-Amufu; and 7,221 hectares to Fungtai Company Limited for the planting of economic trees, crop farming, and establishment of agro-allied industrial parks at Ugwujoro, Nimbo, Uzo-Uwani LGA.

The administration has also concluded arrangements for the takeover of the management and development of the long-moribund Songhai Farms Heneke in Ezeagu LGA by Britednuel Agro Limited and partners.

In 2023, the state government cultivated 1,000 hectares in Aninri, Nkanu East, and Uzo-Uwani LGAs to support the cassava to bioethanol value chain development initiative of the Federal Government, while the Biotechnology Industrial Park led by the Federal Government/Enugu State and Biosource Technologies Ltd, a private partner, is under construction at Egede/Affa in Udi LGA.