Takeaways From National Communications Team Tour Of Enugu, Ebonyi States

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, says the recent working tour of Enugu and Ebonyi States by the National Communications Team underscored the commitment of the Tinubu administration to equitable development across the country.

The presidential adviser, who was part of the delegation led by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the three-day visit featured engagements with governors, town hall meetings with citizens, and inspection of key federal and state projects.

He noted that both Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi openly acknowledged that their states were witnessing an unprecedented level of federal intervention.

In Enugu, the team inspected ongoing federal infrastructure projects such as the Enugu–Port Harcourt Highway, Enugu–Onitsha Highway, the 9th Mile–Umulumgbe–Ukehe–Opi Junction reconstruction, and the Eke Obinagu Flyover in Emene, designed to ease long-standing traffic congestion. Onanuga added that the state also hosts a new federal oncological centre for cancer treatment.

He recalled that Minister Idris highlighted the completion and operation of the Port Harcourt–Aba railway and the Federal Executive Council’s approval of $3 billion for the Eastern Rail Line, which is expected to unlock N50 billion in annual trade. A further $508 million has been earmarked for upgrading Eastern Port infrastructure.

In Ebonyi, portions of the Calabar-Abuja Super Highway are already completed, with work progressing on other stretches. Governor Nwifuru, according to Onanuga, stressed that since the creation of Ebonyi in 1996, no federal administration had made such an impact as is being felt under President Bola Tinubu.

He also pointed to his administration’s achievements, including the establishment of an ICT University in Oferekpe, the development of housing estates, and the expansion of road networks. His signature project—the Vanco Flyover and twin underground tunnels in Abakaliki—scheduled for completion in 2026, is being built by a Nigerian construction firm and is projected to become a tourist attraction.

The senior special adviser said the delegation’s visit coincided with the commissioning of modern bus terminals and 100 CNG buses in Enugu by Governor Mbah, who attributed his ability to execute projects to increased federal revenue allocations following the removal of fuel subsidies and reforms at the Federal Inland Revenue Service. Similarly, Governor Nwifuru told the delegation he has financed multiple projects without borrowing, crediting the new fiscal environment created by the administration.

The Ebonyi leg of the tour climaxed with a town hall meeting at the Ecumenical Centre in Abakaliki, where a lively crowd received President Tinubu’s message of renewed hope delivered by Minister Idris.

The visit concluded with a meeting with the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, who clarified reports on Lagos bridges and outlined ongoing federal road and bridge interventions across the South East and beyond.

Onanuga maintained that the tour offered strong evidence of the administration’s inclusive approach to development and reaffirmed the tangible progress being made under the Renewed Hope Agenda.