Soludo’s Awka 2.0 Vision: The journey has started

For many successful Nigerians who might want to spend their vacation in Nigeria and would like to go to places outside their home towns, two main cities come to their minds. These cities are Lagos and Abuja. The relative security and the rich ambience of some elite destinations in Abuja and Lagos make these cities the desired locations for most elite Nigerian families. But Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the executive governor of Anambra State, is determined to add Awka – the capital of Anambra State – to the list of preferred locations for holiday makers in Nigeria.

It is not going to be easy to build a new smart mega city – Awka 2.0 – that would attract visitors who would ordinarily have preferred Lagos and Abuja. But this is where leadership, vision and prudent management of resources come into play.

The journey to make Awka a preferred destination in Nigeria and to build a new city has started. The benefits are enormous. Awka 2.0 will not only make Awka ’greener’, it will spur massive economic growth in Anambra State.

In order to build a new smart city, you need cement, bricks, electrical appliances, fibre optics and other building materials. With the construction of Awka 2.0, Anambra hopes to attract the biggest cement and building material companies in Nigeria – who which to be major suppliers in the Awka 2.0 project – to set-up permanent bases in Anambra.

Awka really needs a new smart city. Since it became a state capital in 1991, Awka has not been able to get rid of many makeshift facilities and poorly plannedlayouts.  For example, the current Government House was the temporary construction facility (i.e., construction yard) of the construction company that built the Enugu-Onitsha expressway in the mid-1970s.

The housing deficit, overcrowded layouts and burgeoning population of Awka make a strong case for a new city, as it were.

But where will the money come from to build a new smart mega city in the present-day Nigeria? The model is simple. The Soludo-led administration has acquired 3,000-hectare of land in the suburb of Awka and plans to build a few signature projects and basic modern amenities in order to attract private developers to construct facilities and infrastructure that would make a smart city.

In fact, the construction of the administration’s first signature project in the new Awka will start next yearas its conceptual design has reached an advanced stage. The piling works for a 10–storey, 5-star hotel is expected to commence next year. The government plans to show investors its commitment to Awka 2.0with this signature project. However, since government is not good in business, this edifice shall be managed and owned by private sector players as soon as the Awka 2.0 vision begins to take shape. Think of the role the Nicon Hilton Hotel Abuja (now known as Transcorp Hilton Hotel) played in the development of Abuja and the role it continues to play under the management of Transcorp. Awka 2.0 signature hotel will follow this trajectory.

How did Nicon Hilton Hotel Abuja spur economic growth in Abuja? When Nicon Hilton Hotel Abuja was built in the center of a thick bush in Abuja in 1987, many people thought it was insane to build such hotel in such location – especially when Abuja had nothing. But the hotel was intentionally built with the future of Abuja in mind. Today, the future the government had in mind is here with us in Abuja.

The hotel was commissioned in April of 1987 to host the ECOWAS meeting of that year. Today, Transcorp Hilton Hotel – which was originally built by government – remains one of Nigeria’s major export brands. Transcorp Hilton Hotel prides itself as being the only hotel in the whole wide world to have hosted over 50 Heads of governments in one particular night.These are the kinds of records a country needs to make when it wants to host major global events like the FIFA world cup.

The foundations laid by former Governor Willie Obiano shall be the catalyst for speeding up the Awka 2.0 project. The Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA), the state’s airport and the international convention center – which were all built by the former governor – would be enablers for the Awka 2.0 project.

Some commentators argue that there is no need to build a new city or a new Government House. They say the money could be used to build more roads, schools and hospitals. But they miss the point.  Besides, the Governor Soludo-led administration is building roads, schools and hospitals, concurrently.

Governments need the support of the private sector. Thus, a huge construction project and a new city such as the Awka 2.0 is the best way to win businesses overthat would provide the cash for government to provide fundamental basic facilities. With new businessesberthing in Anambra, tax revenues would increase. And government’s fundamental responsibility of providing education, roads and healthcare for its citizens can be easily achieved.

Countries who understand the economics of new cities are already completing theirs. Today, a new administrative capital is being built in Egypt; Malaysia is building the Biodiver City; Saudi Arabia is building the Line City and China is building the Chengdu Future City. The list is endless.

Think of a new smart city in the heart of Awka which could host world leaders and major business leaders. Think of the improved traffic this new city will give the Anambra International Cargo Airport (now Chinua Achebe International Airport). Think of the income from tourism this would generate.

This is the way to go in order to catalyze growth and create a disruptive change in Anambra. Governor Soludo is indeed in a hurry to transform Anambra State.

Nwankwo is the Special Adviser to Soludo on Special Projects