Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has flagged off the construction of 17km road, feeder roads, and other infrastructure, which he said marked the beginning of the construction of the New Enugu City in keeping with his campaign promise to make the state the premier destination for investment, business, living, and tourism.
The New Enugu City sits on 10,000 hectres of land, off Enugu-Abakaliki Road and traverses Enugu East, Enugu North, Enugu South, and Nkanu West LGAs.
At the ceremony, Governor Mbah said the first phase of the project, which covers 26 square kilometres, would be delivered in 24 months in line with the administration’s determination to restore Enugu’s lost glory and reposition it as one of the top three states in Nigeria.
Mbah explained that the New City, which was awarded to China Communication Construction Company, CCCC, would rub shoulders with any great city in the world.
He called on the people of the state and the host communities to work with the government and contractors to deliver what would make Enugu State proud and the cynosure of all eyes.
“We have conceived a city that we believe marks the beginning of our journey to the position and consequential roles we want to play in the affairs of this continent.
“We are going to start with the first phase of about 26km2. This will warehouse three Islands, namely the Happy Island, the Vitality Bay, and the Innovation Park. All of these islands are designed with first class city features in mind.
“All the things that we experience when we travel to Dubai, Singapore, and other major cities in the world, is what we are about to bring to you here in Enugu State because we believe you deserve nothing but the best.
“And this is obviously pursuant to the pledge we have made to Ndi Enugu to grow the economy from its current level of $4.4bn to $30bn in the next four to eight years.
“This is going to create a veritable platform because in this city, we are going to have a dedicated power project, a dedicated power plant, we are going to have a central sewage system, we are going to have all the central public utilities centralised, and it is going to be provided by the government.
“We are going to have access to high-speed internet in this New City, there is hardly anything you find in any modern smart city that you won’t find in this city”, he said
In his remark, the Deputy Managing Director of China Communication Construction Company, Henry Li, pledged the commitment of the firm to deliver a world-class project within the stipulated time.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Enugu East, Livinus Anike and leaders of the host communities, including Engr. Emeka Nnam, pledged the support and cooperation of the host communities towards the speedy realisation of the massive project.
They also commended the Governor for what they described as the creativity he has brought to bear in the governance of the state.
