Enugu State is developing a 25-year development plan to sustain growth, infrastructure and development gains through stronger institutions, long-term planning and measurable outcomes.
The Enugu State Government is developing a 25-year development plan aimed at sustaining growth, infrastructure and other development gains beyond the tenure of the present administration.
Governor Peter Mbah disclosed this on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, while represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, at the 2026 Global Goals Week Symposium in Enugu. The symposium was organised by the State Office of Sustainable Development Goals and held under the theme, “From Projects to Lasting Impacts.”
Mbah said the long-term plan was designed to shift Enugu’s development approach from projects tied primarily to individual administrations towards a framework anchored on institutions, policies, systems and long-term planning.
According to him, the plan would provide a framework for successive administrations to sustain and improve development across key sectors, including the economy, education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, environment, technology and human capital development.
He said development should not restart whenever there is a change in government, stressing the need to strengthen policies, institutions and systems to preserve development gains.
“The 25-year plan is intended to provide clear direction around which successive administrations can sit within a much broader vision for the state. This is how we create continuity,” he said.
The governor also said the plan would rely on credible data, measurable indicators and effective monitoring mechanisms to assess the impact of government investments.
He noted that the sustainability of projects such as Smart Schools and healthcare facilities would depend not only on their construction but also on adequate staffing, maintenance, financing, technology and management systems.
Mbah further said roads should be regarded as economic corridors that connect communities, expand access to markets and create opportunities, rather than merely as physical infrastructure.
He said the state was strengthening digital governance to improve transparency, traceability and accountability, adding that reliable data would be essential to measuring progress under the long-term development framework.
The governor also called for greater citizen ownership of public infrastructure and urged residents to protect government projects, stressing that the facilities belong to the people.
UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Enugu, Juliet Chiluwe, said sustainable development should ultimately be measured by the extent to which projects continue to improve people’s lives after completion.
Chiluwe said UNICEF remained particularly concerned about investments in children, including education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation, social protection and child protection.
She said infrastructure and other investments would only produce lasting benefits when supported by skilled personnel, essential supplies, adequate financing and strong institutional systems.
She called for a shift “from projects to programmes to systems and from outputs to outcomes,” stressing that sustainability should be incorporated from the beginning of every development intervention.
Former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Frank Nweke Jr., commended the administration’s infrastructure investments while urging the government to focus on translating projects into measurable improvements in residents’ lives.
Nweke also called for the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals into the state’s planning, budgeting and performance measurement, with greater emphasis on outcomes rather than expenditure and completed projects.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on SDGs, Onyinye Akubuilo-Okpalanma, said development should not be measured solely by the number of projects completed but by their lasting impact on residents.
She identified improved learning environments, greater economic opportunities for young people and women, increased agricultural productivity and better access to essential services as some of the outcomes that should guide development assessment.
Akubuilo-Okpalanma called for stronger collaboration among government, the private sector, development partners, academia, civil society organisations, communities and young people to sustain development gains in Enugu.
The 2026 Global Goals Week programme has focused on moving beyond project delivery towards sustainable, measurable and lasting development outcomes in the state.
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