● Ferdy Agu
The Enugu State Government has partnered with WANDE NEXUS, an Austrian firm, to implement the Sustainable Last Mile Connectivity and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Project aimed at revolutionizing water infrastructure in the state.
The formal agreement, signed on Monday at the Government House, Enugu, in the presence of the Austrian Ambassador to Nigeria, Thomas Schlesinger, will see WANDE NEXUS inject $100 million in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to modernize water infrastructure, enhance service delivery, and ensure equitable access to clean water for all households in Enugu City.
Speaking at the event, Governor Peter Mbah hailed the development as a significant milestone in addressing water distribution challenges. He described the partnership as a model for effective collaboration between sub-sovereign entities and sovereign states.
“We now have an investment of $100 million to deal decisively with the last mile connection, the downstream part of our water system. This huge sum shows that the economic reforms of the Federal Government and our effort to position Enugu as the premier destination for investment are yielding results because this is a major FDI, not just for us as a state, but even as a country.
“For the record, this is not a case where we are just signing an agreement that is exploratory. This is an agreement we signed today for the funds to begin to flow. This is a discussion that started eight months ago. From signing an MoU, to Terms Sheet, to getting a Concession Agreement, today we are signing the final agreement, and we expect that the investment funds will start to flow immediately, as they should have started with the connectivity to the last mile, and the procurement of the meters will commence,” Governor Mbah explained.
Highlighting achievements in water production under his administration, the governor stated that production had increased from 2 million litres per day to 120 million litres per day. He added that the $100 million investment would address the critical challenge of expanding the network to connect tertiary pipelines to individual households.
“This is purely an investment of $100m being injected in our downstream water sector, and we have the responsibility, as a state government, to continue to manage the upstream sector. If you look at our budget for 2025, there is fund slated for water, and that is essentially to increase our water production capacity. The volume will grow from 120 million litres of water per day to 200 million litres per day,” he said.
Ambassador Schlesinger commended Governor Mbah’s dedication to fostering international relationships and improving the quality of life for the people of Enugu.
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“I wish to laud His Excellency Dr. Peter Mbah for his vision to transform the water management systems for Enugu City, with its ultimate goal to ensuring equitable access to clean water.
“Governor Mbah is a great friend of Austria. He has visited Vienna twice, where he met with ministers, international organisations, and the business community; and he is a very active supporter of Austrian companies in Enugu.
“This investment in the amount of $100 million is, therefore, a testimony of his excellent work and his vision for Enugu State,” Schlesinger said.
He further praised the leadership of Dr. Ugochukwu Ugbor, Chairman of WANDE NEXUS, expressing confidence in his ability to lead the transformation of the downstream water sector.
“In order to implement such a plan as the governor has, you need strong leadership at the top of the project, represented by Dr. Ugochukwu Ugbor, the Chairman of WANDE NEXUS. He spent more than 20 years in Austria, where he played key roles in international organisations, addressing critical infrastructure and sustainability challenges, as enshrined in another Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations,” Schlesinger added.
Dr. Ugbor, in his remarks, credited the investment to the improved ease of doing business and conducive investment environment under Governor Mbah’s administration.
“The speedily improving ease of doing business, conducive investment environment, and trustworthiness exhibited by the Mbah administration encouraged us into this venture. We are committed to delivering on expectations, creating 500 direct jobs for a start, building human capital in modern water management, and directly improving health and economic opportunities in Enugu State,” Ugbor stated. GMTNewsng
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