The Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake, has called for sustained strategic engagement between Anambra State and the Federal Government, arguing that continued collaboration with the Centre is critical to attracting investment, infrastructure and other development opportunities to the state.
Nnake made the call while delivering the keynote address at the Anambra State Chapter of the City Boy Movement (CBM) town hall meeting and membership drive in Awka, themed, “Get Up, Sign Up, Show Up , A Thumb Up for Democracy.”
Speaking on the topic, “Can Anambra Afford to be Disconnected from the Centre?”, the SSG said the question was not merely political but one that directly affected the lives of Ndi Anambra, including their businesses, markets, jobs and the future of their children.
She said Anambra had “far more to gain” from strengthening its strategic partnership with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, arguing that continuity in government would enable the state to consolidate ongoing initiatives rather than face possible disruptions associated with a change in administration.
According to her, “2027 is not the moment to abandon the building halfway; it is the moment to move into the house we have laboured to construct.”
Nnake said the argument for continued engagement with the Centre was particularly relevant to Anambra because of its dependence on federal intervention in areas such as major road infrastructure, security coordination, ecological intervention, industrial development and youth empowerment.
She cited the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway and Onitsha-Owerri road as examples of critical trade corridors requiring federal involvement, while noting that industrial development in Nnewi, Onitsha and Awka would benefit from stronger connections to national infrastructure and export frameworks.
The SSG also referenced the state’s industrial and investment initiatives, including the Awka Millennium Industrial City (AMIC), saying the state’s free trade zone licence had been secured with federal support.
The SSG also charged members of the City Boy Movement and other participants to take the message of civic participation to the grassroots, urging them to “Get Up, Sign Up and Show Up” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
She encouraged eligible citizens to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards, verify their polling units and participate actively in ward-level political and civic activities.
“Cynicism has never built a prosperous state. Sitting back and complaining on social media will not pave our roads, power our factories, or create sustainable jobs,” she said.
Nnake urged members of the movement to build strong grassroots structures across the state’s 326 wards and sustain engagement with communities ahead of the 2027 elections.
She further called on Ndi Anambra to approach political participation from what she described as a strategic and development-oriented perspective, rather than emotional considerations.
