Nigerian novelist and public speaker, Chimamanda Adichie has lauded the positive developments in Enugu State under Gov. Peter Mbah’s ministration, saying the state’s dark times were over.
Adichie gave the commendation during a courtesy call to Mbah at the Government House, Enugu on Tuesday.
She said, “Arriving in Enugu, there is a feeling of calm and it’s very welcoming. This is the city that I have always loved. I think in the past, it had some dark times. It seems to me that the light is back.”
Adichie told Government House correspondents that she left the meeting with Mbah feeling very inspired by his long-term vision, people-oriented policies and programmes and the impressive representation of women in his government.
“By doing well, I mean to do things that touch the lives of the ordinary people in Enugu state. That is for me, very inspiring. It is also inspiring to hear and see that the women are very well represented in his cabinet,” she stated.
She hailed the ongoing construction of Smart Green Schools in each of the 260 political wards in Enugu and the allocation of over 33 per cent in the state’s 2024 and 2025 annual budgets to education.
“I have always felt very strongly that education has to be at the centre of any kind of forward-looking vision for any state in Nigeria.
“I was very impressed to hear about the Smart Green Schools. Of course, to value something, you have to invest in it. So, that the governor of Enugu state is investing bigger part of the budget in education, more than UNESCO recommends, is something very powerful.
“So, the idea of trying to reach children in rural areas, who may not have the opportunity to get really very good elementary education is again, very inspiring,” she said.
The multiple awards winning author also gifted the governor an autographed copy of her latest work, “Dream Count”.
Mbah described Adichie as a literary giant, inspiration to the younger generation and an ambassador of Igbo and African cultures.
“Chimamanda is a proud ambassador of Igbo culture, who continued to elevate African narratives on the global stage,” he said.
He said that his government is investing heavily in education to be able to produce many more of her type and others, who would paint Enugu state, Nigeria, and Africa in glowing colours in various fields of human endeavors across the world. (NAN)
