The European Union, EU, and the Enugu State Government have agreed to collaborate in power and infrastructure sectors for sustainable economic growth and development.
The Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Massimo De Luca, disclosed this intention on Tuesday at a meeting with the Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah at the Enugu State Government House.
“A specific focus which has emerged over the last couple of years is the renewable energy, and Enugu is one of the selected numbers of states that are partnering with us on a number of renewable energy initiatives; one of them is solar-to-health.”
“We are working for the electrification of primary health centres in the state, and the model we are adopting is one that will ensure sustainability,” Mr. De Luca disclosed.
Expressing dismay at the deplorable state of some of their past projects, Mr. De Luca revealed a new strategy to tackle poor maintenance culture which has adversely affected previous interventions.
“This time, we are involving the local authorities fully in the primary health sector, and even the private sector, so that infrastructure, which we will deploy in partnership with the state authority, will be taken over by a management structure that ensures a long-term sustainability of the infrastructure,” the EU representative revealed.
Mr. Massimo De Luca further stated that the project will not focus only on primary healthcare centres but will affect positively the eco-system.
“We are also looking at different types of renewable energy operations, and more of them to be connected to agriculture. It is a small hydro which is a technology where European Union is particularly advanced, and can be deployed without upsetting the environment; and that can contribute to the electrification of the area with its own hydro-generation plants,” De Luca reiterates.
In his response, the Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah expressed delight at the opportunity stating that its principles align with his administration’s aims, objectives and vision of not only developing the state exponentially but taking deliberate steps in eradicating poverty.
“Our vision is to eradicate poverty – to achieve a zero percent rate in our poverty headcount. We have in pursuit of that objective, invested hugely in our social sector; building 260 smart schools, 260 Type-2 primary healthcare centres.”
“We can see a major alignment when you talk of investment because beyond eradicating poverty in our state, we have the vision to grow our economy exponentially, and we see that coming from outside investment – private sector investments from multi-lateral and bi-lateral relationships.”
“Given our private sector backgrounds, we know how we can structure investment in a manner that is a win – win for all parties; whether with the private sector or the EU investments.”
“We are committed to ensuring sustainability by involving local authorities and the private sector in project management,” Governor Mbah assures.
- Gov. Mbah Signs Executive Order to Relocate Auto Dealers Market to Udi, Ezeagu LGA - March 15, 2025
- CP Bitrus Giwa Takes Over as Commissioner Of Police, Enugu State - March 12, 2025
- Lady Arraigned in Enugu Court Over Fake Testimony in Church - March 12, 2025