The Enugu State Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Nigeria, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), on education, energy, trade, trade and digital economy to accelerate development of Enugu State.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony at Government House, Enugu, on Tuesday, the Resident Representative, UNDP Nigeria, Ms Elsie Attafuah, said the deal anchored the state into the UNDP Nigeria’s Integrated Smart States Programme (ISSP).
She said ISSP would enable the state to translate political priorities into investment-ready portfolios, use state resources as anchor capital, crowd-in Development Finance Institutions and private investors as well as strengthen delivery systems for results.
According to her, the agreement is structured around five mutually reinforcing pillars: health systems strengthening; Smart Green Schools; energy for development; innovation and digital economy; and trade, tourism and investment promotion.
She promised immediate action, saying the financing agreement provided a clear runway for activation, with the first tranche due on March 1, 2026, and a second one on July 1, 2026.
The resident representative added that UNDP would ensure the availability of resources ahead of planned activities, and enabling disciplined implementation in line with UNDP’s accountability standards.
“Signing an MoU is not the destination but activation and delivery. Immediately after today, our joint priority is to finalise the Joint Action Plan with clear sequencing, responsibilities, and costing.
“This is because costing is the bridge between commitments and implementation.
“To ensure speed and seriousness, UNDP will work with the state to operationalise a dedicated programme team and field coordination mechanism, aligned with the Enugu delivery architecture,” she said.
She stressed that Enugu had joined the group of reform-forward states, positioning itself not only as a South East leader, but as a subnational model for human capital transformation innovation, and investment-led growth.
Responding, Gov. Peter Mbah described the MoU signing as a milestone, as the partnership would help his administration accomplish its vision and promises to the people, promising transparency and accountability.
“This is an important milestone in our relationship with the UNDP. During our campaign for office, when we laid our blueprint for the people of Enugu State, we made our total commitment to eradicating poverty in the state.
“We made a commitment to achieve a zero-poverty headcount index in the state.
“We recognise that this would happen through collaboration and through partnership, which is why what is happening here today is of immense importance to us.
“Our government is also interested in transparency, accountability and this is core in our governance philosophy – fund traceability and others.
“What this MoU we have just executed here today represents is making sure we get value for our money, making our procurement processes are done transparently and extract the optimal value in every kobo or dollar we spend,” he stated.