- By Peter Mbah
As we welcome the first light of 2026, I want us to pause and look at where we stand as a people. That is because this moment is more than a transition from one year to the next. It is a solemn passage – an opportunity to reflect on the journey we have taken together; not just on what we have built, but what has awakened in us.
The dawn of a new year is often a moment of optimism. Our optimism is not abstract. It is grounded in the concrete work we have done. So, as we look forward, let us briefly reflect on where we are.
The story of Enugu today goes beyond our schools, roads and hospitals. It is written in our self-belief, in our partnership, and in the courage we summoned to imagine a future far brighter than the one we inherited. Three years ago, much of what we now take for granted existed only as hope in the hearts of a determined people. The smart schools rising in all our wards were once nothing more than a bold idea.
The revival of our assets, the transformation of our transport system, the return of water to our taps, the rebirth of security and confidence in our communities, the surge of investment and visitors to Enugu, all these were seeds – fragile, uncertain, demanding extraordinary faith. Yet we planted them. Together. We planted when the path was unclear, when the nights felt long, and when early steps brought more questions than answers. And because we stayed the course, the seed has grown into something that touches every life in this state today. Because we trusted each other, because we rejected despair and chose unity over division, Enugu stands this morning as one of the clearest success stories in our country. We have become a beacon for others who need hope and inspiration in what is possible when a people move with unity and purpose.
But Ndi Enugu, it is far easier to rise than it is to remain standing. And it is even harder to rise again, and yet again.
That is why this year demands more of us than the years before. 2026 is not a victory lap. It is a humble continuation of a journey that is nowhere near finished. This is the year where the work deepens, where the foundations we laid must be strengthened, where momentum must not only be sustained but accelerated.
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Today, across the 260 wards of our state, Smart Green Schools stand ready for January opening. Digital whiteboards, Robotics labs, solar power, dedicated teachers, and the largest school feeding programme in our history await the children.
In two weeks, they will walk into schools that prepare them for the emerging world. Our healthcare system has taken a decisive turn. 260 healthcare centres, one in every ward, are nearing completion. Fifty-one secondary health facilities are being upgraded. Diagnostics that once required travel to Abuja or Lagos will now be available at home. Every child will have access to quality care.
Our transport system is being rebuilt piece by piece. Five modern bus terminals are already active, mass transit is expanding, city taxis are being replaced with safer, cleaner vehicles, and new terminals are coming to Emene, Udi, Awgu, 4-Corners and Obollo Afor. These are the beginnings of a system that will change how an entire state moves, lives and works.
Look around the city and you will see roads opening in every direction. You will see water where taps had been dry. You will see streetlights where darkness once slowed our steps. You will see small businesses reopening, foreign visitors returning, hotels filled again, conference halls alive with debate, and communities that no longer have to look over their shoulders because our security is working.
Our farmers now stand at the doorstep of a new agricultural economy, with 260 Farm Estates that would reach full traction this year. No farmer should lose his harvest to rot again. We are building both farms and futures.
Ndi Enugu, these achievements are the triumph of partnership. They are the result of your patience, your trust, your willingness to push through doubt and disappointment, your courage to believe when belief felt like a risk. And it is these same qualities that must guide us now, because the road ahead is bold and demanding.
What we have begun is not fleeting – it must now be secured for generations.
The year 2026 will test our discipline and endurance. It will test our ability to protect the progress we have made while reaching for larger goals. We need to ensure that revenue stays strong. The progress we are seeing depends on our ability to fund what we have started.
Our economic engines today are firing up with Enugu Air opening new regional routes; the International Conference Centre drawing business and investors; the New Enugu Smart City unlocking large-scale urban and commercial development; revived state assets and new industrial initiatives bringing production back to life; our natural resources adding strength to our revenue base; and a surge in real estate growth driven by confidence in the state.
This year, our four immersive tourism sites will be unveiled. These include a Zip Line – the first such in Nigeria – two canopy walkway, and a mind-blowing revamp at the enchanting Awhum Waterfall.
We have to build well, not quickly for applause but carefully for posterity.
Every kilometre of road, every block of concrete, every public building must meet standards that honour our children’s children. We will strengthen our public service. The scale of work ahead is too large for our current structures. We will recruit, reform, retrain, and insist on accountability. A season that demands excellence definitely abhors mediocrity.
And above all, we must resist complacency. Success can seduce us into comfort. Comfort slows our steps. And when steps slow, progress slips away. We cannot let that happen. Not now. Not when Enugu is being watched as the example of what disciplined leadership and united citizens can achieve.
Now let me speak plainly about what this New Year will bring. In 2026, life in Enugu will change in ever more visible and practical ways. Every urban road across our cities will be paved and upgraded with proper drainage and walkways, with many also receiving new streetlights to improve safety.
Projects like the 9th Mile 24/7 water scheme, the planned Ajali Scheme revamp and Oji River will continue to push clean water directly into more homes across Enugu. All 260 Smart Schools will open fully, offering digital learning, science labs, renewable power and a free daily meal to more than 300,000 children.
And in every one of our 260 wards, a fully equipped Primary Healthcare Centre will open, staffed and powered to deliver real care when it is needed most. The economic impact will be just as direct. Our farmers will gain access to mechanised tools, modern storage and processing that protect their harvests and increase their income.
Akanu Ibiam International Airport operations will expand with plans to grow Enugu Air’s fleet to 20 aircraft this year, accelerating trade, tourism and investment.
Strengthened security infrastructure, ongoing industrial revival efforts, growing support for small and medium enterprises, and expanded connectivity will ensure that more families feel economic opportunity through rising incomes, safer streets and a clearer path to a better life.
Despite these, we know that our resolve to provide a safe and secure state for Ndi Enugu will be tested by criminal elements. But let me be clear: no crime committed will go undetected and unresolved. We will track and prosecute everyone who has committed a crime. We will never drop our guards.
Let me end on a more personal note.
Progress is measured in numbers, yes, but it is lived in the stories we carry back home. Every morning when I leave for work, I see my father sitting by the balcony, watching the world outside with the quiet patience of age. And I often wonder what he sees of the Enugu that is emerging. What stories can a son bring back to a father who has witnessed this state through its most difficult seasons? This is the question for all of us. As we go out into the world: what stories are we bringing home to our elders and to our children?
Today, we can speak of a mother walking her child down a paved road to a smart classroom, certain that a healthy meal and lifetime opportunity await.
We can speak of a farmer whose harvest will no longer be left to rot because a processing hub stands close to his fields.
We can speak of a trader in Ogbete whose shop is busy again because the streets are secure. And we can speak of a young graduate choosing to stay, not leave, because opportunity in Enugu is finally growing as fast as his ambition.
These are the stories we now carry home: Stories of dignity restored; Stories of a state rising; Stories worthy of those who came before us and of those who will come after.
The strength of our state comes from the way we have worked together. We did not get here by chance. We got here through discipline, honesty and a shared decision to push forward even when the way was difficult. That same mind-set is what we need now.
This year calls for focus and commitment. It calls for every one of us to stay engaged, to stay informed, to hold ourselves and our institutions to high standards. We must protect what we have built, finish what we have started, and refuse complacency in any form. If we do that, the progress we see today will not fade. It will grow.
So, I implore you: stay the course. Support the work. Demand accountability.
Yet, amidst the air of optimism typical on a day like this, 2025 may still have been, for some, an endless trial, or even a test of strength and faith. Let us rekindle our time-honoured sense of community, embrace ennobling work ethic in our workplace and in our homes, and tear down walls of exclusion.
Our promise remains firm: we’re still determined to leave no one out in the cold. Public funds will continue to be channelled solely into projects that uplift lives.
The future of our dear state will be shaped by the choices we make together in this moment.
I wish every family across Enugu State a peaceful, joyful and prosperous New Year. Tomorrow is here. Let us build it.
