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WHY ENUGU EMERGED AS THE LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE SOUTH EAST AND THE 5TH BEST IN NIGERIA.

Published

5 years ago

August 12, 2020

By Jeff Ejiofor

It is no longer news that Enugu state is the largest economy in south east and the 5th best in the whole of Nigeria. This rating, and the proclamation of Enugu as one of the six largest economies in Nigeria that can survive without federal allocation according to 2019 States Validity Index by Economic Confidential did not come to many as a surprise considering the sound economic policies of the state government under the able leadership of Gov. Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi.

Although Enugu has for long carried the toga of conservative civil service state being that it does not host mega industries or belong to the league of oil producing states, the entry of the current administration revolutionized its socio-economic status and took it to the committee of viable economic giants in Nigeria.

It has through a stint of hard work and resilent leadership been transformed to a latent economic hub with average annual IGR base of 31 billion naira.The attendant multiple opportunities and potentials inherent in this economic reality will manifest fully with time.

It’s quite obvious that these things don’t happen by chance, but usually as a result of proper economic planning through aggressive rejiging of the entire revenue generation architecture. It involves careful pluging of loopholes and leakages of all sources of revenue generation.

As a matter of fact, every state in Nigeria can attain such a height through self search for internal sources of revenue generation but requires a visionary leader versatile in prudent financial management to do that. It definitely requires a highly organized leader of men and resources to harness the economic potentials of a given political entity. This informs the reason I personally get amused when some politically uninformed folks make unnecessay comparisons between Enugu and states that cannot even survive for a month without federal subventions. In short, it suffices to say that the political economy of Ugwuanyi’s policies is undisputable and second to none in Nigeria.

The above result which placed Enugu, a state without multinational oil corporations or federal government aided mega industries as the 5th most economically viable state in the whole of Nigeria is a clear evidence. It can only take a prudent and dogged leader like Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to achieve.

Undoubtedly, Enugu state is lucky to have such a pragmatic political leader endowed with immense wisdom at a perilous time like this when Nigeria and the globe are at the threshold of economic emasculation. It’s unarguable also that since 2015, the world economy has been intermittently slipping into recession, leading to sustained glut in crude oil market which accounts for 95 per cent of the Nigeria’s foreign revenue earnings.

This development has led to serious socio economic deficit, thereby forcing many states in Nigeria to go bankrupt in an effort to meet their financial commitments. As a matter of fact, Nigeria as a country has been in economic distress since then and has resorted to borrowing in order to sustain and keep the system running.

Consequently as a result of this obvios reality, many states cannot meet their financial obligations as regards payment of workers’ salaries not to talk of project execution. In most cases, their major concern is how to sustain their recurrent budgetary expenditures.

This development once led to federal government bailing out a particular state with 10 billion naira to offset accumulated salary arreas in order to enhance the electoral chances of an incumbent governor who was standing for election.This is a perfect reflection of what obtains in most Nigerian states this period of economic recession.

Surprisingly however, in the midst of all these socio-economic challenges, Enugu state is making remarkable and appreciable progress which is akin only to big economies. Enugu, a non oil producing state achieved the above feat from sound and deft economic policies of of Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration.This achievement is purely borne out of sheer economic ingenuity and leadership acumen. Many pundits have wondered how the state was able to attain such a robost economic status like Lagos, Rivers, kaduna, Ogun and Kwara states whose sources of economic strength are well known to even the blind.

Expectedly though, cynics and serial critics of government are asking about the benefits of this healthy economy to the citizens of Enugu state. Well, the answer is obvious, just that at times people tend to get biased when it comes to critical evaluation of government achievements especially when their opinions are already formed in the negative. They often allow prejudice to beckloud their sense of judgement and thereby making it difficult for them to adjust their thoughts to the reality on ground. They at times dubiously claim not to feel the impact accruing from such economic feats even when the reverse is the case.

Nonetheless, let me remind such skeptics that even in recession, Enugu state was able to be among the first in the country to implement the national minimum wage with an upward review through collective bargaining between the government and workers’ representatives, the first of its kind in the state.

Also, Enugu has been implementing its developmental programmes irrespective of the seeming economic challenges occasioned by covid 19 lockdown. Whereas other states are grappling to meet their financial obligations, Enugu is busy awarding and executing new capital projects across the state.

Under covid 19 crisis, massive rural road construction, aggressive renovation and reconstruction of health facilities across the state including seven additional type 3 health centres, reconstruction, renovation and refurbishment of educational institutions and implementation of empowernment programmes are ongoing. Also, the hospitality industry in the state is receiving attention in this period. New relaxation park known as Unity Park at Indipendence Layout is under construction, and infrastructures at Nike Lake Resourte are being completely overhauled. All these achievements irrespective of covid 19 challenges and global economic recession simply mean that the economy of Enugu state is healthy.

Although some of them may want to cite one or two states where white elephant projects with little or no immediate economic value are going on, they fail to consider the implications of heavy external and internal debt burden inherent in such jamborees which is at the expense of the poor masses. Such disgruntled pseudo socio- economic analysts do not understand the socio- political implication of economic strangulation of the poor in the name of providing physical infrastructures.The hallmark of good governance is even development that impacts on all sectors of the economy. A society can only be said to be making progress if the citizenry positively feel the impact of governance and not the other way round.

Finally, I want to sincerely commend Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and his economic team for repositioning Enugu state and making it economically great. May the good Lord strengthen and enrich his knowledge to continue steering the ship of the state towards the right direction.

Enugu is unarguably in the hands of God.

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Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles

Published

3 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.

Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.

What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.

Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.

In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.

Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.

“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”

She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”

The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.

Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”

For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”

Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”

Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.

Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.

Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.

With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.

Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.

“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.

He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.

“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”

Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.

“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”

He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”

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