The United Nations has commended Imo’s digital transformation and public reforms, recommending them as a “viable national model for sustainable development, economic diversification, and youth empowerment.”

The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, made the recommendation on Thursday when she paid a courtesy call on Governor Hope Uzodimma at the Government House, Owerri.

Mrs Mohammed said that what she saw in Imo “is inspiring,” citing the state’s rapid progress in technology, infrastructure, and human capital development.

She said the state’s strategic investments in education, digital skills, power infrastructure, and administrative reforms are creating competitive enterprises, productive jobs, and resilient communities.

With four years remaining to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, she said state-level progress was critical to translating global goals into accessible healthcare, quality education, and decent livelihoods for citizens.

Mrs Mohammed, accompanied by top UN officials, expressed delight over the rapid progress recorded in youth development and technological empowerment in the state.

She highlighted the need to strengthen energy systems, expand access to climate finance, and build robust supply chains, linking local producers directly to broader markets.

She emphasised that investments in human capital must be matched with sustained social protection and quality healthcare to yield maximum impact.

Responding, Mr Uzodimma explained that his administration deliberately prioritised technology as a catalyst to tackle unemployment, enhance security, and shift the state away from over-reliance on the public sector.

The governor disclosed that thousands of youths had been trained and integrated into the global tech ecosystem as software developers, cybersecurity analysts, and AI specialists under the Imo Digital Economy Agenda.

“Our goal goes beyond basic training; we are equipping our young people to build sustainable businesses, innovate solutions, and compete in the global knowledge economy,” Uzodimma said.

He further outlined state-led energy initiatives, including compressed natural gas adoption, electric vehicle deployment, and independent power projects aimed at delivering clean, reliable, and affordable energy to homes and businesses across the state.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Digital Economy and E-Government, Chiemezie Amadi, said the state government had abandoned traditional empowerment schemes of distributing motorcycles and tricycles in favour of high-value technical capacity building.

“Imo is transitioning from a traditional civil-service state into a net exporter of digital talent,” Mr Amadi said.

He called on the UN and international development partners to deepen support in AI, entrepreneurship, and venture capital access.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Petroleum and Gas Development, Emeka Mgbudem, said the state had unveiled an ambitious clean energy strategy to replace expensive liquefied petroleum gas with low-pressure compressed natural gas for household cooking.

In his remark, the chief economic adviser to Mr Uzodimma, Kenneth Amaechi, urged the UNDP to partner with the state in scaling up the community-based cooperative enterprise, OKOBI, to generate 500,000 jobs by 2030.

“OKOBI”, which means “One Kindred, One Business Initiative” of the Imo Government, is a strategy designed to tackle unemployment and boost the economy.

Mr Amaechi said the state’s 20-month collective entrepreneurship model had already established 600 profit-oriented businesses, employing over 20,000 residents.

He appealed for “blended” finance, business incubation, and market access support to ensure sustainable economic development.

Contributing, the special adviser to the governor on SDGs, Chinenyenwa Owuamalam, highlighted the state’s commitment to aligning its 3R Agenda with the SDGs.

Ms Owuamalam said key achievements spanned infrastructure, digital innovation, healthcare, and youth empowerment.

She commended Mr Uzodimma’s wife, Chioma, for her initiative towards advancing gender equality and supporting vulnerable women.

She also lauded the ongoing SDG school awareness campaign, environmental programmes, and inter-agency partnerships aimed at deepening collaboration with the UN so that no one is left behind.

The visit ended with a joint commitment between the Imo government and the UN to consolidate partnerships in infrastructure, clean energy, and technical assistance to accelerate economic growth across all local government areas. 

(NAN)