By Ejike Abana
Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo has assured of leveraging on strategic partnerships as part of his administration’s governance model for the state.
Governor Soludo was speaking when he received the International Community and Foreign Development Partners at the Government House, Awka.
Giving a SWOT analysis of the state and the road ahead, Governor Soludo identified the international community, federal government, foundations and so on as some of the partnerships that will help the state.
While expressing knowledge of the fact that the International Community had contributed immensely to help make Nigeria work, the Governor said that part of Anambra’s future lies in its past, expressing his government’s resolve to build a liveable and prosperous homeland.
He pointed out that the major strength of the state is in its human resource capital, and identified the state’s weaknesses and threats as the environment, erosion, pollution, insecurity, infrastructure decay, unplanned cities, communities and markets, menace of water hyacinth, flooding, waste management, among others.
Professor Soludo said that building on five agenda/pillars, his administration has already started taking steps to help respond to the new world including digitization of IGR, prudent and transparent fiscal management, creating an ease of doing business climate, among others.
The high-powered delegation include British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, Chargé d’affaires, German Embassy in Nigeria, Mr Martin Huth and Amb Samuela Isopi of the European Union who is also head of delegation.
Others include Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, James Christopher, South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Thami Mseleku, Resident Representative, International Monetary Fund, Mr Ari Aisen, and US Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb Mary Beth Leonard.
Also in the delegation are the Resident and Humanitarian Cordinator, UN, Mr Matthais Schmale, Country Representative, UNAIDS, Dr Erasmus Morah, Resident Representative, UNDP, Mr Mohamed Yahya, Chief Security Adviser, UNDSS, Mr Robert Marinovic,
Country Representative, WHO, Dr Walter Kazadi Molumbo, Country Director, World Bank, Mr Shubham Chaudhuri, French Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb Emmanuelle Blatmann, Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb Ihab Awad, Charge of Affairs, Embassy of Norway, Ms Ingrid Skjokaas, Programme Manager and Senior Conflict Adviser, UNDP, William Tsuma, and Communication Associate, UNDP, Rejoice Emmanuel, and Partnership Analyst, UNDP, Eno-Mfon Akinde.
Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Okafor, members of Anambra State Executive Council were also present at the presentation session.
