Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has commissioned a newly completed 2.5-kilometre road in Ichida, Anaocha Local Government Area of southeastern Nigeria’s Anambra State, while renewing calls for a Public-Private-Community Partnership (PPCP) model to accelerate infrastructure development.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Soludo said the Anambra State government lacked the financial capacity to independently address the scale of infrastructure deficits across the state, describing collaboration among government, private citizens and host communities as the most practical path to rapid development.
“To develop Anambra in a fast-paced manner, PPCP is the answer. Government cannot do it alone because the funds available are far below what is required to close all infrastructure gaps,” he explained.
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The road project was funded by businessman and philanthropist Chief Tochukwu Nzekwe, whom Soludo commended for embracing the administration’s “think-home” initiative, which encourages wealthy indigenes to invest in their communities.
Similar Interventions
Soludo said Anaocha Local Government Area had historically been at the forefront of community-led infrastructure development, citing the late industrialist Tonimas for constructing 18 kilometres of roads that inspired similar interventions across the state.
According to the governor, the PPCP framework allows the government to continue executing large-scale projects while encouraging communities and individuals to support local development efforts.
“No one is too poor to give and no one is too rich to receive,” Soludo said, urging residents to contribute to community development through infrastructure support, environmental sanitation and security cooperation.
Connect Smaller Community
The governor also linked the Ichida road project to his administration’s broader urban development strategy, which includes the dualisation of major arterial roads and the construction of a central beltway designed to connect smaller community roads into a wider transport network.
Soludo also disclosed that the state government was planning four new cities to prevent unregulated urban expansion as population growth intensifies over the coming decade.
“We are working on four new cities because, in the next 10 years, unchecked development could lead to widespread haphazard construction,” he said.
Nzekwe, in his remarks, explained that his decision to fund the road project was driven by a desire to improve transportation and living conditions for residents, while pledging continued support for the state government’s development agenda.
