By Christian ABURIME
In a developing democracy like ours, public trust in government can be paper-thin and integrity may seem like a lost art. Yet, some leaders still take pains to make a difference even in a system that is riddled with corruption.
An example is Anambra State under Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, where a different picture is being painted. A picture where leaders lead by example, public finance is an open book, civil servants are empowered, and meritocracy, not mediocrity, is the rule.
Governor Soludo’s governance agenda is a quiet transformation, not in shouts and slogans, but in systems, standards, and service to the people.
Governor Soludo promised transparency, and he has institutionalised it. Under his watch, Anambra became one of the few Nigerian states to publish its financial statements in real-time, allowing Ndi Anambra to see exactly how public funds are used. The result is a new kind of relationship between citizens and government: one rooted in trust and open dialogue.
In order to deepen this engagement, the Solution Lens’ citizen feedback platform was launched. Through it, the people not only talk to the government, they talk through it, proving democracy in action.
Since the coming of the Soludo government, the digitisation of budgeting, procurement, and financial systems has blocked age-old leakages. The results are staggering: an 80% reduction in the cost of governance across board, amounting to ₦4 billion in savings, which is now redirected into critical infrastructure and social services.
While many state governments drown in debt, Governor Soludo’s Anambra is an exception. Despite having the legislative Assembly approval to borrow ₦100 billion, not a single kobo has been borrowed in three years. Instead, capital expenditure has risen to 77% of the budget, the highest in the nation, while recurrent spending has been squeezed to 23%. The state is now among Nigeria’s top five most fiscally sustainable states, a veritable model of prudent leadership in an environment of debt addiction.
Governor Soludo understands that no reform sticks without the support of those who implement it. That’s why his administration began with bold civil service reforms: A 10% salary increase in 2023, followed by payment of minimum wage in 2024, as well as prompt payment of gratuities and pensions, including clearing four years of backlog for state and local government retirees. Every retiree in Anambra now receives their benefits on time.
Beyond the state capital, Governor Soludo has breathed life into grassroots governance. Local government secretariats have been rebuilt, enhancing the efficiency of service delivery at the community level. The reconstruction is institutional, while the Local Government Administration Law 2024 provides a framework for transparent, accountable governance at the third tier.
Five new High Court halls and residential quarters for judges have been constructed to strengthen judicial efficiency. But infrastructure is just one half of the coin; performance is the other. The creation of a Strategy, Execution, and Evaluation Office ensures that every project, programme, and policy is tracked, measured, and optimised. No more ghost contracts, no more political white elephants, no more delayed payments, no more abandoned projects, only measurable impact.
Governor Soludo’s mantra, ‘One State, One People, One Agenda’, goes beyond rhetoric and shows up in asphalt and action. For the first time ever, Nzam in Anambra West has a motorable road. The Otuocha–Aguleri road project, long ignored, is now alive with progress. The 26.7km Awba-Ofemili road, previously only a footpath, is now fully asphalted. From the hills of Aguata to the riverbanks of Anambra East, every community now has a stake in the state.
Appointments in Governor Soludo’s government reflect competence, not favouritism. His youthful “Solution Team” was selected based on merit, diversity, and innovation. Inclusion is now a culture. Under his watch, the traditional Igbo values of hard work, enterprise integrity, and communal responsibility are being institutionalised. A culture of excellence is emerging, one that rewards service over self-interest.
Thus, in three years, Governor Soludo has redefined what governance truly means in Anambra State. From digitised systems to debt-free economics; from fair justice to inclusive development; from transparency to trust, his leadership model is a masterclass in ethical public service. This is governance that restores faith. Governance that works. And most importantly, governance that serves.
.Hearts, Minds, And Hands: Soludo’s Human Capital Revolution In Anambra
In the story of every great society, the true engine of transformation is not limited to oil or infrastructure alone; it is also about the people.
It is education that shapes their minds, healthcare that preserves their lives, skills that empower their hands, and dignity that secures their place in society.
In Anambra State, Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, is scripting this very story with breathtaking urgency. His human capital and social agenda is a people-centred movement to build a prosperous and compassionate homeland.
At the onset of his tenure, Governor Soludo’s bold declaration of a state of emergency in education was a necessary jolt to a system that had lost its way. Today, Anambra is the first state in Nigeria where every child in public school, from nursery to SS3, pays nothing: no levies, no fees, and no hidden charges.
This landmark policy has reversed a decline in enrollment. Public primary school enrollment has surged by 27.05%, while secondary school numbers have risen by 10.36%.
In 2024, Unesco rated Anambra State as the lowest in out of school syndrome at a rate of 2.90 While the 2024/25 National Education Management Information System Annual Census held in conjunction with State Education Management Information System rated the out of syndrome at 0.25. Anambra now boasts with the lowest rate of out of school children in Nigeria.
When Governor Soludo took office, over 7,500 teaching positions were vacant. Within his first year, he recruited 8,115 teachers in a merit-based, digital-savvy cohort drawn from 18 states across Nigeria. These teachers have been deployed to every corner of the state, from bustling cities to forgotten villages, dramatically improving the teacher-learner ratio to 31:1 in primary, 28:1 in secondary, and 26:1 in ECCD. Every headteacher and principal now has a laptop. 22 pilot smart schools are transforming into centres of innovation, preparing students for a world where knowledge, not connections, defines the future.
Through the Public-Private-Community Partnership (PPCP) model, 70 philanthropists have invested in renovating and building schools. Mission schools, long neglected, are receiving generous government support, ₦2.2 billion in grants, including for Pentecostal schools for the first time. Eighty per cent of newly recruited teachers serve in mission schools whose salaries are fully covered by the state, almost ₦1 billion monthly. Education is no longer an orphan of policy; it is the crown jewel in Anambra State under Governor Soludo
Also, Anambra is setting national standards in healthcare with its telemedicine network. Every primary healthcare centre in the state is now digitally linked to a pool of 42 doctors, available 24/7. With the tap of a button, a villager in the remote areas can consult a doctor, be referred, and even evacuated using the Anambra State Emergency Ambulance Service (ASEMSAS) via a toll-free line.
Today, 326 primary health centres have been renovated and equipped with solar-powered boreholes, lithium inverters, and internet-enabled diagnostic tools. Once-abandoned facilities are now hubs of life-saving care. Each political ward in Anambra has at least one functional medical facility.
Five brand-new general hospitals have been built, all in underserved areas of Anambra North, defying political calculations as Governor Soludo is from Anambra South. Additionally, three general hospitals have been upgraded to specialist status. Equipment such as dialysis machines, dental theatres, and ophthalmology labs now exist where there was once neglect. At the tertiary level, a state-of-the-art Trauma Centre is under construction at the Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital. A smart nursing school, the largest in Southeast Nigeria, is also taking shape.
Over 102,643 women have benefited from completely free antenatal care and delivery, including 344 cesarean sections. Since its inception, public hospital births have risen from 200 to over 1,000 monthly, with 52% of beneficiaries being non-indigenes, an evidence of the universal humanity guiding the policy.
From 3.8 million mosquito nets distributed to cervical cancer screening for over 13,000 women, the healthcare revival is as broad as it is deep. Anambra’s Health Insurance Scheme now covers 120,000 residents, including keke riders and shuttle bus drivers, and aims to double coverage by 2025.
Governor Soludo’s vision for youth development is practical, visionary, and deeply cultural. Inspired by the Igbo Apprenticeship System (IAS), the One Youth, Two Skills initiative is empowering 5,000 young people in 2024, with another 8,700 in training for 2025. With over ₦2 billion in seed capital and an additional ₦2.5 billion in concessional loans through ASBA, over 3,000 youth have become self-made millionaires, armed with skills that scale. This is not the usual handout or welfarist tokenism; it is wealth creation in action.
The Soludo administration’s compassion also finds real expression in its social justice programmes. Over 1,800 children separated from families have been rescued and reunited. Over 150 interventions have protected widows from inhumane practices, enforcing the Widowhood Rights Law. More than 3,000 disputes have been resolved through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), giving women and children an accessible justice mechanism. Over 2,000 perpetrators of gender-based violence and trafficking have been apprehended, while 121 children were rescued from exploitative conditions. Over 1,500 grassroots women leaders have been mobilised into governance, with 2,500+ women trained in vocational and entrepreneurial skills. Governor Soludo’s women agenda is empowerment by design.
With decades of dry taps behind them, Anambra residents are now witnessing the return of pipe-borne water. Five major urban water schemes, 15 small-town networks, and 109 rural projects, including 30 in Okpoko alone, have been rehabilitated and upgraded. For many, this is the first time in living memory that potable water flows at home.
Governor Soludo’s human capital agenda is a deeply personal, profoundly life-changing covenant with the people of Anambra. By investing in minds, healing bodies, empowering youths, uplifting women, and restoring dignity, he is building a better, more just, equitable society where every life counts. In Anambra, for the first time in a long time, governance has truly come home. Solution is here!
