Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State is actively preparing the political landscape for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. During a recent event at the Government House in Owerri, the governor expressed his commitment to supporting the president while also pursuing his own political objectives, including a potential return to the Senate.
Uzodimma is leveraging a series of infrastructural and economic achievements to consolidate support for the current administration. Notable projects include the construction of numerous roads, healthcare facilities, and the Imo Digital City. The latter has trained approximately 75,000 youths in high-tech fields like cybersecurity, AI, and software engineering. Commissioner for Digital Economy, Chimezie Amadi, noted that this initiative also includes an assembly line for smartphones, aimed at fostering local manufacturing and reducing reliance on imports.
Beyond digital initiatives, the state government has prioritized the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure, including the Owerri-Okigwe and Owerri-Mbaise-Umuahia highways, as well as the successful mitigation of severe gully erosion along the Orlu-Mgbee-Akokwa-Uga road. Uzodimma has also moved to complete long-abandoned state projects such as the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport and the Concorde Hotel.
Governor Uzodimma credits his administration’s success to the federal government’s economic reforms, specifically the removal of the fuel subsidy. He claims that increased monthly allocations have allowed the state to scale up infrastructure spending and boost internally generated revenue from less than N400 million in 2020 to nearly N6 billion by 2026. Furthermore, he noted that the state’s debt profile has significantly decreased under his tenure. During the recent dinner with the Presidential Media Team, Uzodimma affirmed that Imo State remains firmly behind President Tinubu, comparing current economic challenges to difficult transitions that ultimately lead to long-term prosperity.
