When Enugu Opened My Eyes

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel to Enugu for the State House Press Corps retreat. It was, in many ways, a journey of firsts — my first time in Enugu, my first time truly setting foot in the South-East, and my first time seeing, up close, the kind of governance that doesn’t require a megaphone to announce itself.

The closest I had ever been to this region was over a decade ago, when the Senate Press Corps travelled to Uyo by road. Back then, we only drove through parts of the South-East. This time, I came to stay — to observe, to learn, and unexpectedly, to be inspired.

The theme of the retreat was Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Journalism — a topic that has become as urgent as it is misunderstood. The doomsday scenarios are familiar: robots writing our headlines, algorithms replacing editors, machines filing stories while humans scroll in fear. But our sessions in Enugu took a more sober, hopeful tone. We were told, firmly and persuasively, that AI is not here to take our jobs, but to make our jobs better.

Professor Michael Ukonu of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, led the charge with a thoughtful lecture on Journalism in the Age of AI: Ethical Boundaries, National Development, and the Quest for Professional Identity. He reminded us that while machines may mimic language, they cannot replicate judgement, empathy, or public accountability — the true cornerstones of journalism.

Dr. Chukwuma Mgboji, a principal ICT systems lecturer at UNN, took us on a tour of the tools and tactics of the AI-enabled newsroom. He spoke not just of automation, but of revenue models, of the journalist as a digital entrepreneur in a fast-evolving media ecosystem.

Then came Paul Odenyi — the veteran journalist who covered the State House during the Obasanjo years. His was a welcome change of pace: a narrative of experience, survival, and reflection. He spoke not as a theorist, but as a man who has lived the transition from typewriters to tweets.

But beyond the retreat, Enugu itself was the real education. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. I was floored. Most times, we look at glossy pictures of state projects and assume propaganda is at play. Enugu, under Governor Peter Mbah, forces you to reconsider that bias.

With Uche Anichukwu — the Governor’s media aide — as our tour guide, we set out to inspect the projects we’d only read about in press releases. What we saw was not hype. It was real. Smart schools built across every ward in the state, equipped not just with classrooms but with technology that inspires critical thinking. At Owo, Enugu North Local Government, I saw one of these schools. It wasn’t just functional — it was visionary.

We moved next to the Enugu State Asphalt Plant — a facility capable of producing 160 tonnes of asphalt per hour. Since coming into operation last September, it has not only reduced construction costs but enhanced quality control. In a country where many states still import their bitumen or contract the work out to inefficient players, this plant is a masterstroke of cost-saving governance. Fifty seconds per tonne. That’s how fast it works. And every tonne brings Enugu closer to durable roads and a smarter budget.

We also toured the popular Ogbete Market — a 24.7-hectare expanse — and visited a CNG filling infrastructure facility backed by a $6 million investment. The state has already taken delivery of 2,000 hybrid buses and 20 electric vehicles. The vision? A green-powered, gas-fuelled transport revolution. And no, this isn’t a pilot project. It’s a plan in motion.

The crown jewel of the tour, for me, was the Holy Ghost Transport Terminal — sitting on 14 hectares of land, it’s a multi-modal facility that rivals anything I’ve seen in Lagos or Abuja. Designed with the architectural ambition of New York’s Grand Central Station, the terminal is fitted with real-time security systems, ramp access, and smart connectivity. When completed, it will accommodate 2,500 passengers every 30 minutes, powered by over 200 CNG buses and supported by 400 bus shelters across the state.

This isn’t just about transportation. It’s about vision, structure, and scale. Seven of such terminals are being constructed across Enugu, cutting across the three senatorial districts. It is the kind of long-term planning that redefines how citizens experience governance — not through slogans but through seamless public service.

Even in the education sector, Governor Mbah’s work shines through. We visited the old Government Technical College (GTC), a school that has produced captains of industry and prominent professionals. What stood on that ground now was not a relic but a renaissance. Within one year, a smart school had been erected on the same land — with capacity for 1,500 students and a curriculum aligned with the federal government’s vision for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Patrick Ubru, spoke of agro-industrialisation with clarity and precision. Enugu is not just growing food — it’s building industries around farming. It’s not just exporting produce — it’s exporting ideas.

At every stop, one truth kept ringing in my head: if more governors governed like this, the pressure on Abuja would reduce by half. Nigerians don’t need magic. They need maintenance. They need access. They need vision.

Peter Mbah is not building castles in the air. He’s building systems, schools, roads, and terminals. And he’s doing so with urgency — not the type that comes from political anxiety, but the kind that comes from a deep understanding that time, in Nigeria, is never on the side of the reformer.

So yes, I came to Enugu to talk about artificial intelligence. But I left with a reminder about something even more valuable: authentic leadership. In a country addicted to centralisation, Enugu stands out as proof that the subnationals — when serious — can change lives.

I hope more of us make that trip. Sometimes, seeing is not just believing. Seeing is awakening.