10 transformational things I expect Charles Soludo to do if he becomes the next Anambra State governor 

Ayo Akinfe 

[1] Turn Nnewi into another Detroit by attracting every single automobile manufacturer there. All sorts of sweeteners should be offered to woo them 

[2] Build two more River Niger crossings. One should be a railway crossing that ends up in Lagos 

[3] Dredge the River Niger up to Onitsha, turning it into Africa’s largest inland port 

[4] Turn Onitsha into the world’s largest tourist market. This will involve building five star hotels, cafes, restaurants, a transport network, recreational facilities, etc 

[5] Build an intra-state railway metro that links Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi, Obosi, Atani, Ogidi, Enugu-Ukwu and all other urban centres in Anambra State 

[6] Champion the cause for the creation of Anioma State with its capital at Asaba. It will become the sixth state of the southeast geo-political zone 

[7] Onitsha must be linked by rail to the key markets of Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. There should also be a direct rail link from Onitsha market to the Apapa and Port Harcourt ports 

[8] Onitsha should be home to the world’s largest shopping mall 

[9] He should build a 5,000 MW hydroelectric power plant at Nzam-Illah crossing. This should generate all the power required in the southeast geo-political zone, ending the need to depend on the national grid 

[10] By 2030, I expect him to have built up the Anambra State economy to the point whereby it will be the first state in Nigeria to withdraw from the federal allocation formula. If Anambra State has a GDP of $500bn, it has no need for Nigeria’s monthly oil stipend