Imo State stands as a troubling outlier in Southeast Nigeria, marked by administrative stagnation and a glaring lack of infrastructural progress. While neighboring states surge forward, each pioneering projects that drive development and attract investment, Imo finds itself shackled by a centralized governance style that leaves its commissioners and Special Advisers without the means or authority to address the state’s needs. Instead, every decision, from awarding contracts to disbursing funds, rests in the hands of a single man—the governor. This bottleneck in leadership has reduced once-promising initiatives to mere wishful thinking and has left Imo’s residents to watch in frustration as surrounding states thrive.
Neighboring Abia State under Governor Alex Otti provides a stark contrast. Despite inheriting a heavy debt burden of ₦191 billion, Otti has paid down half of it without taking on new loans, proving that a focused and transparent approach to governance can achieve significant results. Abia has not only kept up with its financial obligations, paying salaries and pensions on time, but has also seen a remarkable surge in foreign direct investment (FDI), catapulting the state from the 27th position to third nationwide. Otti’s administration has prioritized infrastructural development and strategic investment, laying a foundation for long-term growth while showing that even limited resources, if managed prudently, can transform a state’s economic landscape.
This transformation in Abia stands as a beacon of hope and a sharp rebuke to the stagnation in Imo. Unlike Imo’s closed-door approach, Abia’s administration actively engages with investors, showing tangible actions rather than empty promises. From Italian to Turkish to American investors, the interest in Abia’s business environment is clear: actions speak louder than words, and infrastructure and investment-friendly policies are making Abia a destination for international business. Governor Otti’s understanding that “investors don’t listen to platitudes; they look at actions” underscores a critical leadership quality absent in Imo, where citizens are left with little more than platitudes and a growing sense of disenchantment.
Anambra and Enugu further illustrate the success that comes from decentralized administration. Each has implemented a governance style that empowers ministries to oversee projects independently, accelerating development and ensuring that funds are applied where needed most. Anambra’s emphasis on urban development and Enugu’s strides in digital and rural infrastructure underscore a forward-looking approach that Imo has yet to embrace. Meanwhile, Ebonyi’s dedicated focus on rural road networks and comprehensive development plans has set a benchmark for what can be achieved when every tier of government is enabled to function efficiently. These states have not only improved accessibility and connectivity for their citizens but have done so with a strategy that keeps progress steady and tangible.
In Imo, however, the picture is bleak. Commissioners and SAs find themselves with little budgetary power, their roles reduced to mere figureheads without the autonomy to implement meaningful change. With the governor often absent from the state, jet-setting as though governing were a part-time duty, Imo’s governance has become a parody of administrative dysfunction. Projects remain stalled, and critical infrastructure continues to degrade, while the governor’s office clings to a micromanagement style that limits innovation, accountability, and progress. The result is a leadership vacuum in which time and resources are squandered as nearby states drive forward with ambition and purpose.
It is time for Imo’s administration to open its eyes to the reality around it. The centralized, opaque governance model must give way to a decentralized and transparent structure that allows commissioners to lead their ministries effectively. Imo State needs an environment where decision-making and budgetary control are shared, promoting rapid execution and fostering accountability. If there’s a lesson to be learned from Abia’s resurgence, it’s that financial discipline paired with a clear, inclusive strategy can attract investment and encourage sustainable growth. By focusing on sound governance, Abia has turned the corner from debt-ridden obscurity to a model of progress that benefits its people.
The stagnation in Imo serves as a grim reminder of the costs of unchecked centralization. The current governance model has failed, not only delaying projects but creating a culture where infrastructure and development are neglected. By contrast, the actions of states like Abia, Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi have shown that with strong leadership, transparency, and a commitment to decentralization, a state can flourish, attracting investments and providing the infrastructure its citizens deserve.
Imo’s leaders must now make a choice: continue down this path of regression and squander the potential of a vibrant state, or break free from this outdated model and join the wave of infrastructural revolution sweeping through Southeast Nigeria. The people of Imo deserve better than a government that fails to govern. They deserve roads without potholes, schools that inspire, and a business environment that beckons investors rather than drives them away.
The successes of Abia, Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi stand as a call to action for Imo. This is a call for a fundamental change, a call for decentralization, a call for accountability, and, above all, a call for a government that puts its people first. Let Imo State not be left behind in the shadows of its thriving neighbors. The time for transformation is now.
By Duruebube Chima Nnadi-Oforgu
Ndukaku III of Ihiagwa
OBLONG MEDIA UNLIMITED 
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