...Enugu’s Breakthrough Began with the Election of Gov Peter Mbah Into Power In 2023
Enugu State once again took the global spotlight as Ambassador Mrs. Amaka Nweke JP, Member IV of the Enugu State Local Government Service Commission and Chairman of the Commission’s WASH Committee, delivered a resounding and widely applauded presentation at the XIX World Water Congress in Marrakech, Morocco. Her brilliant discourse, which positioned Enugu and Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah among the world’s boldest innovators in water management and urban resilience, attracted admiration from international experts, policymakers, and development partners gathered from over 100 countries.
Representing Enugu State and Nigeria with poise, depth, and strategic clarity, Ambassador Nweke championed an exceptional presentation that cast a bright light on the state’s ambitious transition from the historic Coal City to a modern Water City, a transformation driven by Governor Peter Mbah’s groundbreaking policies, infrastructural investments, and visionary environmental reforms. Her session, titled “Water and Nature: Innovative Solutions for a City in Nature, Using Enugu’s Coal City to Water City as a Case Study”, became one of the high points of the global congress.
In her special acknowledgements, Ambassador Nweke conveyed the goodwill of His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah, extending heartfelt greetings to His Majesty, Sidi Mohammed bin Hassan Al-Alawi, King of Morocco, to the President of IWRA, Yuanyuan Li, and to all distinguished participants. She expressed gratitude to the Kingdom of Morocco for hosting the monumental event and to the International Water Resources Association (IWRA) for providing a global platform to exchange knowledge and shape the future of water governance and sustainability.
Her presentation meticulously traced Enugu’s origins as a coal-mining city, a history that left behind severe environmental scars such as deforestation, erosion, strained water resources, and increased vulnerability to water scarcity and seasonal flooding. She noted that rapid urban growth has magnified these challenges, making bold interventions not only necessary but urgent.
Against this backdrop, Ambassador Nweke powerfully highlighted Governor Peter Mbah’s remarkable strides in rewriting Enugu’s environmental story, showcasing several landmark initiatives that have placed the state at the forefront of water-sector innovation in Africa. Central to these achievements is the 120 million liters per day water scheme, which has elevated Enugu’s water production from a meagre 2 million liters to an impressive 120 million liters per day, directly serving over two million residents. She emphasized complementary projects including the 4.4MW gas-powered plant ensuring uninterrupted water supply, massive pipe-borne water expansion to eliminate tanker dependency, sustainability frameworks to ensure tariff transparency and affordability, as well as continued community engagement to safeguard and maintain water assets.
Ambassador Nweke further captured global attention when she unveiled the state’s forward-looking adoption of nature-based solutions under Governor Mbah’s directive and through the operational leadership of the WASH Division of the Local Government Service Commission. She articulated how Enugu is exploring Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS), integrating rainwater harvesting, green roofs, and urban wetlands restoration, as modern tools to combat flooding, improve water quality, and create greener, more resilient urban spaces. The detailed models she presented, including urban rainwater harvesting frameworks and wetlands revival strategies, were praised for their practicality and alignment with international best practices.
Her presentation also underscored the wide-ranging environmental, economic, and social benefits of Enugu’s Water City vision. She highlighted the state’s $100 million investment partnership with Austrian collaborators to modernize its water distribution network, and stressed the role of community participation, public accountability campaigns such as NEWARI, and supportive policy frameworks in building a sustainable urban ecosystem.
Participants at the Congress applauded her articulate breakdown of the key challenges inherited from the city’s coal-mining legacy, including infrastructural decay, population pressures, and the delicate balance between economic development and environmental sustainability, as well as the innovative solutions now being implemented to overcome them. Her emphasis on collaboration between government, the private sector, civil society, and global development partners resonated strongly with delegates seeking scalable African models for achieving water resilience.
During her presentation, Amb. Nweke also took a moment to commend the Network of Water Rights Initiative (NEWARI) for its unwavering partnership with the Enugu State Government in advancing water-sector reforms. She praised NEWARI’s active role in mobilizing communities, promoting accountability, and sustaining public engagement around water governance. According to her, the organization’s grassroots-driven campaigns and collaborative initiatives have significantly supported the state’s efforts to strengthen water infrastructure, improve service delivery, and uphold transparency. She emphasized that NEWARI’s contribution remains vital in ensuring that the government’s Water City vision is not only implemented but embraced and protected by the people it is designed to serve.
Ambassador Nweke’s session became a blueprint for many emerging cities, as she outlined clear pathways for replicating Enugu’s success: adopting holistic planning, investing in green infrastructure, expanding community-driven water governance, and bridging policy with implementation. She illustrated how these collective efforts not only enhance environmental sustainability but also improve livelihoods, create jobs, strengthen public health, and uplift the overall quality of life.
Her rousing conclusion proclaimed Enugu’s transformation as a paradigm shift, a living testament to the power of water as a catalyst for urban rebirth. She reaffirmed that through Governor Peter Mbah’s unwavering commitment, Enugu State is advancing a new era of resilience, innovation, and sustainable development, demonstrating that the future is not just anticipated but actively being built.
Through her brilliant representation, intellectual depth, and distinguished conduct at this high-powered international gathering, Ambassador Amaka Nweke not only elevated Enugu State’s global profile but also projected Governor Peter Mbah’s visionary leadership onto the world stage, leaving participants inspired and reinforcing confidence that Enugu’s “Water City” dream is already becoming a global model of urban regeneration in the 21st century.
The high-powered event attracted an impressive lineup of global dignitaries whose presence underscored the significance of the XIX World Water Congress, which includes the United Nations Secretary-General, whose remarks set the tone for global cooperation on water resilience. The host of the Congress, Dr. Nizar Baraka, Morocco’s Minister for Equipment and Water, warmly welcomed participants and reaffirmed his nation’s commitment to advancing sustainable water governance. Also present was Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, Minister for Hydraulics and Sanitation of the Republic of Senegal and President of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), who emphasized Africa’s rising leadership in water-sector innovation. Adding to the distinguished list was Dr. Mrs. Hannah Sao Kpato, Sierra Leone’s Minister for Water Resources and Sanitation, whose contributions highlighted the shared challenges and collaborative opportunities across West Africa. Their collective presence elevated the event, creating an atmosphere of global unity and high-level discourse.
