Amina Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary, led a high-powered delegation to Governor Hope Uzodimma at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House in Owerri on Thursday, and said, “What I saw in Imo is inspiring.” The praise landed after the United Nations commended the Uzodimma administration for high strides in digital transformation, youth empowerment, economic diversification and public-sector reforms. That’s the official script. Down below, the people are still expected to live inside the results.
Who Gets the Praise
The UN said Imo State’s initiatives formed a strong foundation for sustainable development. Its leadership noted that the state’s strategic investments in education, digital skills, power infrastructure and administrative reforms were creating competitive enterprises, productive jobs and resilient communities. The delegation also said that with four years remaining to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, state-level progress remained critical to translating global goals into accessible healthcare, quality education and decent livelihoods for citizens.
That’s the language of institutions congratulating institutions. The delegation spoke of “support where necessary” and “the needs of the populace in critical areas,” but the whole scene stayed firmly inside the chambers of government, with power talking to power while ordinary people remained the object of the conversation.
The delegation expressed optimism over the rapid progress recorded in youth development and technological empowerment. It said the young people it met during the visit showed remarkable determination and readiness to drive the emerging digital economy initiated by the Uzodimma administration. The UN team also highlighted the need to strengthen energy systems, expand access to climate finance and build robust supply chains linking local producers directly to broader markets. It said investments in human capital must be matched with sustained social protection and quality healthcare to yield maximum impact.
What the Administration Says It Built
Uzodimma said his administration had intentionally prioritised technology as a “catalyst to tackle unemployment, enhance security, and shift the State away from over-reliance on the public sector.” Under the Imo Digital Economy Agenda (IDEA), he said thousands of youths had been trained and integrated into the global tech ecosystem as software developers, cybersecurity analysts and artificial intelligence specialists. He said, “Our goal goes beyond basic training; we are equipping our young people to build sustainable businesses, innovate solutions, and compete in the global knowledge economy.”
That promise comes wrapped in the familiar language of reform: less dependence on the public sector, more dependence on markets, more dependence on the state’s chosen path. The administration presents this as liberation. It’s still a hierarchy deciding what kind of future people get to have.
He also outlined state-level energy initiatives, including Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) adoption, electric vehicle deployment and independent power projects, aimed at delivering clean, reliable and affordable energy to homes and businesses across Imo. Some commissioners in the Uzodimma administration also explained to the UN delegation what Imo State was doing uniquely to better the lot of the people and enhance good living standard in the society.
The Commissioner for Digital Economy and E-Government, Dr. Chiemezie Amadi, said the current administration had abandoned traditional empowerment schemes, such as distributing motorcycles and tricycles, in favour of high-value technical capacity building. He cited the story of Adanna, a young graduate who trained in phone repair technology under the state’s programme and later launched a thriving enterprise in Ohaji/Egbema, saying it showed how tech skills were driving economic growth in rural areas. Amadi said, “Imo is transitioning from a traditional civil-service State into a net exporter of digital talent,” and called on the United Nations and international development partners to deepen support in artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and venture capital access.
Who Pays, Who Waits
The Commissioner for Petroleum and Gas Development, Emeka Mgbudem, said Imo State had unveiled an ambitious clean energy strategy to replace expensive Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) with low-pressure Compressed Natural Gas (LCNG/ANG) for household cooking. The State’s Chief Economic Adviser, Prof. Kenneth Ameshi, urged the UNDP to partner with Imo in scaling community-based cooperative enterprise, OKOBI (One Kindred One Business Initiative), to generate 500,000 jobs by 2030. Ameshi, who is the Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, said the state’s 20-month collective entrepreneurship model had already established 600 profit-oriented businesses employing over 20,000 residents. He appealed for blended finance, business incubation and market access support to ensure sustainable economic development.
Ameshi said capturing flared natural gas could slash monthly cooking expenses by 69 per cent, reducing costs from N20,500 to N6,500 per family. He said the initiative operated at a safer 20–40 PSI and paired smart cylinder-tracking technology with local last-mile delivery to combat deforestation, eliminate indoor air pollution and boost economic relief across West Africa. He also urged stronger UNDP partnership to expand community-based businesses and create jobs.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Chioma Egu, drew the UN delegation’s attention to what the government had done in primary and secondary healthcare, and said partnership with development partners was key to sustaining the foundation the governor had paid in the healthcare sector in Imo State. The Special Adviser to the Governor on SDGs, Chinenyenwa Owuamalam, said Imo State was committed to aligning its 3R Agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals, and said key achievements spanned infrastructure, digital innovation, healthcare and youth empowerment. She commended the First Lady, Chioma Uzodimma’s initiative, GF-USI, for advancing gender equality and supporting vulnerable women, and pointed to ongoing SDG school awareness, environmental programmes and inter-agency partnerships aimed at deepening collaboration with the United Nations so no one is left behind.
The visit ended with a joint commitment between the Imo State Government and the United Nations to consolidate partnerships in infrastructure, clean energy and technical assistance to accelerate economic growth across all local government areas. Those in the company of the UN Deputy Secretary General were Elsie Attafuah, Resident Representative UNDP Nigeria; Hadiza Elayo, Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary-General and Deputy Director, Sustainable Development Unit; Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS; and Dr. Vanessa Phala, Country Representative for the International Labour Organization.