Peter Mbah promotes national unity through inclusive policies in Enugu, engaging Nigerians from diverse backgrounds in contracts and top government roles.
Peter Mbah promotes national unity in a way few contemporary Nigerian leaders have, reshaping Enugu State into a beacon of inclusion, merit, and national cohesion.
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In May 2023, just weeks before taking office as governor, Peter Mbah met a select group of media professionals in Abuja.
alm and focused, the former oil and gas executive laid out a bold vision: a $30 billion economy, water infrastructure renewal, healthcare reform, educational revolution through smart schools, and an end to enforced sit-at-home disruptions.
While that vision was impressive, it was his quiet smile in response to a suggestion on ethnic inclusivity that revealed the core of Mbah’s values.
Today, over a year later, those values are being lived out in policy, appointments, and development projects.
A recent controversy over an abandoned smart school contract awarded to Lagos-based developer Olasijibomi Ogundele inadvertently highlighted Mbah’s commitment to building a Nigeria without borders.
Rather than play safe with ethnic patronage, the Enugu governor had entrusted a major infrastructure project to a non-Igbo contractor based purely on merit.
This move was not an isolated case. The governor has worked with Planets Projects, a transport infrastructure firm led by Biodun Otunola, for modern bus terminals. He awarded the Enugu State Command and Control Centre project to Hajaraisan Nig Ltd, headed by Aminu Uba Miko from Kano.
Even the developer of the state’s vehicle ID software, Ibrahim Shehu,hails from Jigawa. Enugu’s new airline, Enugu Air, is led by Emmanuel Izah from Kogi State.
Clearly, Peter Mbah promotes national unity not just in speeches, but in visible, contractual commitments that break tribal boundaries.
The governor’s appointments further this philosophy. Ladi Akeredolu-Ale, from Ondo, leads the state’s broadcasting service. Dr Yomi Jaye, his health adviser, is Yoruba.
Adenike Okebu supports internal revenue reform, while Alh. Abubakar Sambo handles special duties. Even the commander of the state’s Forest Guard, Olamitisoji Akinbamilayo, a retired police DCP, hails from outside the South East — yet played a central role in restoring order post-sit-at-home.
These appointments weren’t tokenistic. They were rooted in competence and earned trust.
The governor’s inclusive ethos recalls Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s NCNC, which, in 1952, produced Mallam Umaru Altine, a Hausa Muslim, as Mayor of Enugu — a landmark in Nigerian unity.
Mbah appears to be reviving that spirit in modern form, challenging stereotypes about Ndigbo exclusivity and proving that Nigeria can work when its leaders see beyond ethnicity.
In a country where regionalism too often drives politics, Peter Mbah promotes national unity by example. Enugu, once a stronghold of ethnic regionalism, is now a microcosm of pan-Nigerian potential.
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His government offers more than roads and policies; it offers hope that one day, the tag “indigene” might no longer matter more than “citizen.”
