Soludo: The Governor With Many Firsts 

IZUCHUKWU ADICHIE 

This is an insight into some of the exceptional achievements of Soludo — the governor who introduced numerous pioneering initiatives in the political arena of Nigeria. It is possible that these accomplishments have not been adequately observed. Soludo made delivering his campaign promises his top priority. In his second year, he accomplished feats that are worthy of being recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. Soludo that I know did not aim to become the first governor to do this or that, but rather to provide services where they were most needed. This was evident from his dedication and commitment from the moment he took office.

So far, Soludo’s achievements as a governor are unprecedented and remarkable. When other governors were overwhelmed with humongous uncompleted projects that were left behind by their predecessors, Soludo became the first governor in the history of Nigeria to recruit 8,000 teachers and 500 medical personnel to end the era of schools and public hospitals without staff He also increased the salaries of workers by 10% in his first 8 months in office. In addition, he was the first Nigerian governor to make Innoson Indigenous Motors his official vehicle.

Soludo also became the first Nigerian governor to win the 11th NCCIDE Peer Review overall Best State in Digital Technology Development in his second year in office. He became the first southeastern governor to complete an unprecedented 247km of roads in his first two years in office, and Anambra moved to the number one spot in the seventeenth southern states of Nigeria on the Presidential Ease of Doing Business in 2023. He was also the first to declare free antenatal care and delivery services, as well as free education that is completely free in his first year in office.

In his state, Anambra, Soludo connected many communities that haven’t seen a square kilometer of asphalt since the creation of Adam and Eve, with tarred roads, such as the five communities of Amansea-Ebenebe-Ugbenu-Ugbene-Awgba, six communities of Amansea- Ezinator- Ndiukwuenu- Okpeze- Awa- Ufuma, Ikenga, Okpunoeze- Nnewi Hotel Road, Idaho Umuezeogu- NAUTH Nnewi Road, Enugwu-Umuonyia, miraculous regeneration of Okpoko — now New Heaven, Umuogbu Awka, and others. He trained and empowered 5,000 youths with N2 Billion seed capital and impacted 20,000 youth on digital skills in his first second year in office. His expedition visit to Olumbanasa, giving them their first-ever pipe-borne and primary healthcare center, is historic. These are just a few of the many first times since the creation of Adam and Eve achievements that Soludo set records.