Soludo’s mindset fosters good governance and development

In the November 2021 Anambra gubernatorial elections, Governor Chukwuma Soludo won in 19 local government areas out of the 21 local governments in the state. Despite the fact that Ogbaru Local Government Area was one of the two local governments that he narrowly lost, Governor Soludo began his urban renewal drive, a day after he was sworn in as governor in 2022, in Okpoko, a community that used to be known as the biggest slum in West Africa. Okpoko is located in Ogbaru Local Government Area. Today, Okpoko, a community with over 500,000 residents and which was described in 2021 by Germany’s Heinrich Böll Foundation as a community that has not had any formal governance structure in the last 16 years, has now been transformed.

In transforming Anambra, Governor Soludo uses evidence -based approach to support policy making. He is very intentional in all the decisions he makes. Decisions in his administration are not only need based but geared towards the long-term prosperity of Anambra. Governor Soludo’s decisions are not driven by political expediency.

Actually, the norm is for a political leader to reward regions where he was voted for massively. In July 2015, former President Muhammadu Buhari, in a town hall meeting organized by the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, remarked: ‘’ “The constituents, for example, that gave me 97 percent [of the vote] cannot, in all honesty, be treated on some issues with constituencies that gave me five percent …I think these are a political reality.”

Technically speaking, the former President Buhari, who is known to be a straight talker, was been frank in that remark. This is political reality, despite the fact that many people might not like to hear it. Politicians nurture their base and strong holds. Charity, they say, begins at home. (Though, the former President later argued that he was been quoted and taken out of context when a section of the media accused him of favoring a section of the country).

In fact, former presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, was quoted to say: ‘’ You first take care of the needs of those who gave you 95% before those who gave you 5%, it is natural’’. As painful as this may sound, this is the reality of politics.

But in Anambra, Governor Soludo is determined to change this mindset. Empathy, emotional intelligence, needs, transparency, integrity, oneness and equity are the governor’s watchwords.

In the last 3 years, the Governor Chukwuma Soludo -led administration has constructed 5 brand new general hospitals in 5 local government councils that had no general hospitals in order to strengthen the referral systems from primary healthcare centers in these local councils. All these new hospitals are outside the governor’s senatorial zone. The decision to construct these hospitals were purely based on the government’s needs assessment reports.

Within the last 3 years, the recruited 8115 teachers and 1,000 healthcare workers were all posted to communities where it was evident that there were staffing gaps. The agenda is to leave no one behind.

The over 762km of roads, seven bridges and massive erosion works awarded in the last 3 years where purely based on needs assessment of communities.

Governor Soludo’s gesture has not gone unnoticed in Anambra. In February 2025, workers from all 21 local government areas in Anambra backed Soludo for a second term. These workers cited the governor’s welfare policies, including his determination to clear over 3 years of pension and gratuity backlogs in the state and local government councils. It has cost the state government billions of naira to clear these unpaid pensions and gratuities. (These are pension backlogs before he was sworn in as governor in 2022). Also, in March 2025, over 2,000 women from 179 communities endorsed Governor Soludo at the Anambra State Women Summit. These women cited Governor Soludo’s urban renewal and empowerment efforts. Various awards to the governor have also come from national newspapers, such as The Sun Newspaper and Daily Independent, in the last 2 months. The people are noticing this shift in mindset in governance and they appreciate it.

Soludo’s mindset can help build more effective, inclusive, and accountable public institutions. It can help foster an atmosphere of peace, tranquility and prosperity.

This column hopes and prays that as Nigeria matures in her democratic journey, more leaders will adopt Governor Soludo’s mindset. Afterall, we are one country and one people!

Nwankwo is the special adviser on special projects to Soludo.