ENUGU State All Progressives Grand Alliance’s (APGA) governorship candidate for the 2023 elections, Frank Nweke, has said he would adopt the Singaporean economic model in growing the state’s economy.
Nweke, who is a former Director-General of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), as well as a former Minister of Information in the administration of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, spoke in a monitored Twitterspace discussion on Sunday, August 7, 2022.
The theme of the discussion, which held from 7pm to 9pm, was, ‘Reclaiming Enugu State in 2023.’
He expressed readiness to adopt partnerships with the private sector that would enable him transform Enugu State.
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The governorship candidate said, “My favourite city-state in the whole world is actually Singapore. I love Singapore because of its founder and the foundations he laid towards economic development, and how he invested in human capital.
“How he trained up some of the smartest people in the world and how he transformed the human capital to become highly soughtt-after in the world.
“For me, Singapore would be my model, and I’m hopeful that by the end of my administration, we would have created one of the cleanest cities in the world, where basic infrastructure won’t be a problem for our people.”
He also stressed the importance of creating an economically viable state that offers opportunity to the young minds in fulfilling their dreams.
“I hope to build a state where our young people would be better educated, and the curriculum transformed to enable them acquire the skills that make them compete globally,” he added.
Nweke further expressed optimistism that his experience working as the Director-General of NESG, a body that advises the Federal government on economic project implementation, would enable him drive economic transformation in the state.
Meanwhile, 2020 data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had ranked Enugu State as the best-performing state economically in the South East and fifth overall in the Nigeria.
Economic Confidential, an intelligence publication, listed Enugu State as one of only six states economically viable in Nigeria. Others were Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Kwara and Kaduna.
Harrison Edeh is a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, always determined to drive advocacy for good governance through holding public officials and businesses accountable.