The Enugu State Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Nigeria, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covering education, energy, trade, tourism and the digital economy, aimed at accelerating the state’s development agenda.
The agreement was formalised on Tuesday at the Government House, Enugu, with the UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, describing the partnership as a major step in positioning Enugu within the UNDP’s Integrated Smart States Programme (ISSP).
Attafuah said the ISSP framework would enable the state to convert political priorities into investment-ready portfolios, deploy state resources as anchor capital, attract development finance institutions and private investors, and strengthen delivery systems to ensure measurable results.
According to her, the MoU is built around five interconnected pillars: health systems strengthening; Smart Green Schools; energy for development; innovation and the digital economy; and trade, tourism and investment promotion.
She announced that implementation would commence immediately, noting that the financing framework provides a clear activation timeline, with the first tranche scheduled for March 1, 2026, and a second tranche expected on July 1, 2026.
Attafuah assured that UNDP would make resources available ahead of planned activities to guarantee disciplined execution in line with the organisation’s accountability standards.
“Signing an MoU is not the destination; activation and delivery are. Our immediate priority is to finalise a Joint Action Plan with clear sequencing, responsibilities and costing, because costing is the bridge between commitment and implementation,” she said.
She added that UNDP would work closely with the state government to establish a dedicated programme team and field coordination mechanism aligned with Enugu’s delivery architecture.
The UNDP official noted that Enugu had joined a growing group of reform-oriented states, positioning itself not only as a leader in the South-East but also as a subnational model for human capital development, innovation and investment-driven growth.
In his response, Governor Peter Mbah described the MoU as a significant milestone, saying the partnership would help his administration deliver on its campaign promises to the people of Enugu State.
“This is an important milestone in our relationship with the UNDP. From the outset, we committed ourselves to eradicating poverty in Enugu State and achieving a zero-poverty headcount index,” the governor said.
He stressed that the administration’s development goals could only be achieved through collaboration and strong partnerships, adding that transparency and accountability remain central to his government’s philosophy.
“What this MoU represents is our determination to ensure value for money, transparent procurement processes and optimal value for every kobo or dollar spent,” Mbah stated.
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