Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to making Enugu State the skill capital of Nigeria.

Mr Mbah stated this on Wednesday while declaring open the 2025 Agbaja Education Summit organised by the Agbaja Leaders of Thought (ALT) held at the Amadeo Event Centre in Enugu.

ALT is a sociocultural group comprising professional indigenes of Udi and Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state.

The governor highlighted the growing importance of knowledge and innovation in global prosperity.

He emphasised the state’s investment in transforming its educational landscape by constructing 260 Smart Schools equipped with digital classrooms and modern laboratories.

Mbah also pointed to a reformed curriculum that prioritised coding, robotics, critical thinking, and problem-solving, alongside the establishment of skill acceleration centres designed to prepare young people for a rapidly evolving economy.

“Our vision is simple but ambitious: to make Enugu State the skills capital of Nigeria.

“Agbaja land, with its historic footprint in scholarship and enterprise, has a strategic role in this transformation,” the governor said.

Mr Mbah said the summit provided a platform to examine Agbaja’s economic strengths, chart industrial pathways, foster unity, and engage young people.

In his opening remarks, a former governor of the state, Sullivan Chime, said the summit addressed education empowerment, which he said remained the cornerstone of the future of the Agbaja people.

“The pursuit of Education and Empowerment actually underlines and enunciates the driving philosophy and innate attributes of the Agbaja people.

“It is actually, in our DNA, to create, produce, reform and advance society.

“The transformational contributions of Agbaja-born leaders remind us that today’s realities demand renewed investment in education and skills development across Agbaja land,” Mr Chime said.

The chairman of the summit planning committee, Chike Anibeze, stated that Enugu came alive again as they gathered to celebrate their identity, strengthen bonds and chart a visionary path for their collective future.

Mr Anibeze stated that Agbaja was uniquely bound by history, culture, and an enduring spirit of kinship.

He recalls that when the Agbaja Leaders of Thought, under the guidance of Chinedu Nebo, conceived the maiden summit in 2022, it was out of a deep desire to reconnect a people whose unity appears to have been weakened by modern boundaries.

“That maiden Summit was a turning point. Beyond the colourful displays of the Economic and Investment Forum and the unforgettable Cultural Carnival, it gifted us something far more important: a renewed sense of purpose and the spirit of collective endeavour,” he added.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of awards by illustrious sons and daughters of Agbaja and friends.

(NAN)