Governor Peter Mbah praises Professor Bart Nnaji’s historic decision to bring his world-class robotics expertise back to Nigeria, using the icon’s 70th birthday to champion localized innovation and state-funded tech infrastructure.
The Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, on Friday delivered a stirring tribute to former Minister of Power, Professor Bart Nnaji, on his 70th birthday, describing the world-renowned scientist’s decision to bring his global expertise back to Nigeria as the defining, most impactful chapter of his life.
Speaking before a high-profile audience at the International Conference Centre in Enugu during a birthday colloquium themed “Powering Tomorrow: 70 Years of Engineering the Common Good,” Governor Mbah lauded the Professor of Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing for proving that academic brilliance reaches its highest purpose only when placed in the direct service of one’s community.
The Governor framed Nnaji’s audacious creation of Geometric Power as a masterclass in patriotic innovation, highlighting how localized engineering directly resolves human problems by providing dependable electricity to businesses, hospitals, and homes.
Using the celebrant’s inspiring journey as a blueprint, Governor Mbah declared his administration’s unwavering commitment to transforming Enugu State into a flourishing hub of technological innovation.
He stated that while Professor Nnaji historically had to travel to the United States to access world-class training and discover his potential, the present administration is actively building a modernized local economy where young people can imagine a prosperous future and fully actualize their gifts without the absolute necessity of migrating abroad.
To achieve this, the Governor revealed that Enugu State is executing an aggressive, foundational overhaul of its public learning system, heavily investing in the deployment of state-of-the-art Smart Green Schools across every ward, each completely equipped with advanced robotics and artificial intelligence laboratories.
Governor Mbah emphasized that preparing the next generation for the demands of the 21st-century global economy requires expanding sustainable power infrastructure, strengthening digital capabilities, and ensuring that qualitative, inclusive training is accessible to all.
Aligning his subnational development policies with the federal government’s Renewed Hope Initiative, he highly commended President Bola Tinubu’s National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) for breaking financial barriers and ensuring that no indigent student is denied access to tertiary education due to a lack of funds.
Concluding his address, the Governor asserted that Enugu is being intentionally repositioned not only to welcome back accomplished global citizens who wish to impact their homeland but to increasingly become a world-class center of enterprise, security, and cutting-edge industrialization where the world itself comes to do business.
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