Presidential media team inspects federal projects in Imo, hails renewed hope infrastructure drive

The Presidential Communications Team and members of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors have inspected several major infrastructure projects in Imo State as part of the ongoing National Media Tour designed to showcase key federal and state government projects across the South-East.

The delegation, which included more than 40 senior journalists, visited strategic projects on Wednesday, including the completed 56-kilometre Okigwe–Owerri Road, the 36-kilometre Owerri–Obowo–Umuahia Road, the ongoing expansion and upgrade of the runway at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, the upgraded Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, and the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri.

The National Media Tour, organised by the Governor Hope Uzodimma-led Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the Presidential Communications Team, is aimed at providing Nigerians with firsthand information on the implementation of major infrastructure projects while promoting transparency, accountability and public awareness of government development initiatives.

Speaking during the inspection, Imo State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, described the projects as products of the strong partnership between the Federal Government and the Imo State Government.

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According to him, the expansion of the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport is expected to position the facility as a major logistics and export hub for the South-East, with eight modern warehouses planned for cargo storage and handling to support agricultural exports, commerce and investment.

Emelumba also said several of the projects were financed by the Imo State Government through increased fiscal resources available to states following the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Highlighting the upgrade of Alvan Ikoku College of Education to a Federal University of Education, the commissioner said the development fulfilled a long-standing aspiration of successive administrations in the state.

He noted that although previous governments had sought the institution’s conversion, the objective was only achieved under Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration less than a year ago.

Emelumba added that the university upgrade had already created employment opportunities and attracted intervention projects from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), while improved fiscal capacity had enabled the state government to accelerate investments in transportation, education and healthcare.

He said the projects reflected the shared development agenda of President Tinubu and Governor Uzodimma, describing the collaboration between both administrations as a model for delivering sustainable development and improving citizens’ welfare.

Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Special Duties, Tunde Rahman, said the projects demonstrated the benefits of effective collaboration between the Federal Government and state governments.

Rahman praised Governor Uzodimma for implementing projects that complement the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in education, citing initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which provides financial support for indigent students.

Members of the media delegation commended the quality and pace of work on the projects, describing them as tangible evidence of the impact of collaborative governance between the Federal Government and subnational administrations under the Renewed Hope Agenda.