A Compendium of President Buhari’s Ongoing and Completed Infrastructure Projects and Policy Successes in South East Nigeria.
Reconstruction of the Runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, following President Buhari’s approval of a 10 billion Naira special intervention fund in 2019. Work ongoing on the upgrade of the International Terminal Building.
The 200 billion Naira Second Niger Bridge, comprising the Main Bridge across the River Niger, and 10km of a six-lane Expressway, in Onitsha and Asaba, scheduled for 2022 completion.
Ground-breaking done in 2021 for reconstruction of Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Rail Line, linking the Southeastern States to a planned new Sea Port in Bonny, and to Northern Nigeria.
Energizing Education Programme (taking clean and reliable energy to Federal Universities across the country): One of the first EEP projects to be completed and launched was the 2.8MW Solar Power Plant at Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Ebonyi State.
Energizing Economies Initiative: (taking clean and reliable energy to economic clusters i.e. markets, shopping complexes etc, across the country). One of the first to be completed and launched was the first phase of the Ariaria Market (Aba) IPP, supplying electricity to 4,000 shops in the Market.
NSIA Healthcare Investments: Brand new $5.5m Medical Diagnostics Center in Umuahia (completed and operational).
Approval for new Air Force Base (Owerri) and Naval Base (Oguta) in Imo State
Ebonyi was among the first set of State Governments to sign up for the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI). The result is the revitalization of a moribund Fertilizer Blending Plant in Abakaliki, which now supplies NPK Fertilizer to farmers in the State and beyond.
Financial Close on the ANOH gas processing plant, with a processing capacity of 300 million standard cubic feet of gas, and 1,200MW of electricity generation potential, in Imo State. The project is a Joint Venture between Seplat Petroleum Development Company and the Nigerian Gas Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
In 2020 President Buhari commissioned the first phase of the Waltersmith Modular Refinery, with a production capacity of 270 million liters of petrol annually, in Imo State. President Buhari approved the investment of $10 million by the Federal Government into the project.
Imo State selected as one of 7 pilot States for the Special-Agro Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme, which is a $500m partnership between the FGN, AfDB Group, and other stakeholders including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Bank of Industry, with the goal of establishing modern agro-processing centres across the country.
President Buhari has approved the establishment of the following: A new College of Education in Isu, Ebonyi State; a new Federal Polytechnic in Ohodo, Enugu State; and a new Federal Science & Technical College (FSTC) in Amuzu, Ebonyi State.
More than 60 ongoing Federal road and bridge projects, across the five States of the region, financed through SUKUK Bond and other mechanisms, including Sections 1 to 4 of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, Construction of Ihiala-Orlu Road in Isseke Town-Amafuo-Ulli with Spur (Ihiala-Orlu-Umuduru Section) in Anambra State, Rehabilitation of Oba-Nnewi-Okigwe Road Route Section II: Anambra/Imo States Border-Ibinta-Okigwe Road; Construction of Oseakwa Bridge in Anambra State; Rehabilitation of Old Enugu – Portharcourt Road (Agbogugu-Abia Border Spur to Mmaku); Rehabilitation of Nsukka-Obollo-Ikem-Ehamufu-Nkalagu Road in Enugu State; Rehabilitation of Owerri-Umuahia Road Sections I, II & III Imo/Abia States; Rehabilitation of Oba-Nnewi-Okigwe Road Section II: Anambra/Imo States Border-Ibinta-Okigwe Road; Rehabilitation of Bende – Arochukwu – Ohafia Road Section I in Abia State; Rehabilitation of Abakaliki-Afikpo Road Sections I and II in Ebonyi State, among others.
The 362.5 billion Naira raised in Sovereign Sukuk Bonds so far since 2017 has been shared equally across the 6 geopolitical zones – which means that a little over 60 billion Naira has been allocated to the South East.
MTN Nigeria has recently announced its intention to reconstruct the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, under President Buhari’s Executive Order 7 (the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme), signed in 2019. The MTN Board has approved the company’s participation in the Scheme.
The committed implementation of the automotive policy of the Federal Government has helped support the revival the old Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company Limited (ANAMMCO Limited) factory in Enugu State. Since 2016 the revived factory has assembled more than 4,000 trucks, valued at tens of billions of Naira.
The formal flag-off of the N-Power Build Programme, the Buhari Administration’s Vocational Training and Apprenticeship programme, took place in Enugu State, on the premises of Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company Limited (ANAMMCO Limited), on Friday May 18, 2018.
Completion of a new 120MVA 132/33kV Substation in Awka, that will deliver an additional 70MW of electricity capacity to Anambra State.
Completion of the following: Installation and commissioning of 2Nos 132kV circuit breaker at Abakaliki Transmission Substation (T/S); Installation of 33kV Nnewi Industrial CB at Onitsha T/S; Construction of a new 33kV IGI Feeder at Aba 132KV T/S; Energising of the 1X40MVA Substation at Nsukka; Installation of a 60MVA Transformer at GCM, Onitsha, another 60MVA Transformer in Aba; and 2X60MVA Transformers in New Haven, Enugu.
Completion of installation and commissioning into service of a brand new 300MVA 330/132/33kV power transformer in the Alaoji Transmission Substation, increasing the station’s installed capacity from 450MVA to 750MVA and making it the biggest substation in Southern Nigeria. The new Transformer has boosted supply to Enugu Distribution Company, benefiting Abia North (Ohafia, Arochukwu, Item, Abriba), Imo State (Okigwe, Arondi-izuogu), and parts of Ebonyi and Rivers State.
Ongoing construction of 2x60MVA Substation in Amasiri and a 150MVA 330/132kV Substation in Abakaliki, both in Ebonyi State.
Ongoing construction of a 2x60MVA transmission substation in Ogbunike/Ogidi communities of Anambra State.
Completion in 2016 (after ten years of stalled construction) of a 330kV Switching Station (and associated Double Circuit lines) in Essien Udim/Ikot Ekpene local government area (LGA) of Awka Ibom State, to serve the South East and North Central Nigeria. The Switching Station wheels power from 4 power plants into the National gridat , at Ugwuaji, in Enugu State, and onwards to other parts of the country.
Payment, in 2017, of pension arrears to police officers who were granted Presidential pardon in 2000 after serving in the former Biafran Police during the Nigerian Civil War. These officers, and their next of kin, waited for their pensions for 17 years since the Presidential pardon. No other administration deemed it fit to clear the backlog.
Completion and commissioning in 2018 of the Zik Mausoleum in Awka, Anambra State, 22 years after construction started.
Partnership between the Nigerian Army and Innoson Motors, for the local production, modification and repair of armored fighting vehicles and other military hardware.
Ongoing deployment of the Federal Government’s Electric Vehicle Pilot Project, spearheaded by the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Under the Buhari Administration’s National MSME programme, the completion of an MSMEs Shared Facility at the Ogbunike Leather Trading Cluster, in Anambra State.
Completion of Adada Dam in Enugu State and Amauzari Earth Dam, Imo; and Completion of the Inyishi Regional Water Supply Project in Imo State; Ofeme Water Supply Project in Abia State; and Uburu Water Supply Scheme in Ebonyi State.
Development of Nigeria’s Eastern Ports, to decongest Lagos and to better serve the population in the South East and South South of the country. The Calabar, Rivers, and Onne Ports have witnessed significant infrastructure upgrades and fiscal incentives to promote their attractiveness. An LPG tanker berthed in the Eastern Ports (Rivers Port) for the first time ever in October 2019. That year Onne Port also received its first container ship in twelve years, while Calabar Port received its first container vessels in eleven years).
The Concession of Onitsha Inland River Port is now in its final stages.
— Compiled by the Presidency Office of Digital Engagement (PODE); September 2021
