TheCable

Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu, says his administration’s overarching vision is to grow the gross domestic product (GDP) of the state to $30 billion in eight years. 

GDP is the value of all the final goods and services produced in a specific time period by a government.

Mbah spoke on Thursday at an event themed ‘Enugu State, Nigeria: New Political Leadership; Bold Economic Vision – Spotlight on the Health and Education Strategies’, on Thursday at the London School of Economics.

He said Nigeria’s challenges require bold and unusual solutions that come from thinking outside the box.

He added that his administration’s ambitious economic vision and the radical policies and programmes being executed in health, education, security, water, and road infrastructure are yielding fruit.

“The single boldest projection that encapsulates what we intend to accomplish is our target to grow the economy of Enugu State seven-fold,” he said.

“Simply put, our vision is to grow the state’s GDP from $4.4bn – that we met – to at least $30bn in the next four to eight years.

“Another bold plan is the commitment to attain a zero percent poverty headcount index in Enugu state.”

He said to realise the set targets, his administration would depend greatly on the wellness of the state’s workforce.

“We’re also building new Level 2 healthcare facilities across the 260 electoral wards in our state,” he added.

“Each centre has the necessary equipment, sanitation and hygiene facilities, water, living quarters for doctors and nurses, and alternative power supply.

“Where there is a shortfall, especially with regard to doctors and nurses who have been emigrating to the West in large numbers, we carry out regular recruitment drives to narrow the deficit.

“The goal is to bring the number of doctors in our state to the WHO recommended doctor-to-patient ratio of one doctor to 600 patients.”

The Enugu governor further said his administration’s investment in education shows he is committed to turning things around.