The Enugu State Government has signed an agreement with Wande Nexus, an Austrian firm, to modernise the city’s water infrastructure through a $100 million Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
This agreement, finalised at the Government House in Enugu, aims to address the city’s water distribution challenges.
Austrian Ambassador to Nigeria, Thomas Schlesinger, was present during the signing. He reiterated the goal to implement the Sustainable Last Mile Connectivity and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Project.
The agreement seeks to enhance service delivery, expand water access to underserved areas, and ensure equitable distribution of clean water to residents of Enugu City.
Governor Peter Mbah described the agreement as a turning point for water infrastructure in the state, noting that it stresses the growing support for Enugu as a prime investment destination. “We now have an investment of $100 million to deal decisively with the last mile connection, the downstream part of our water system.
“This huge sum shows that the economic reforms of the Federal Government and our effort to position Enugu as the premier destination for investment are yielding results because this is a major FDI, not just for us as a state, but even as a country,” he stated.
Governor Mbah noted the progress made in water production, which has increased from a sporadic 2 million litres to 120 million litres per day. However, he noted that the primary challenge remains the expansion of the pipeline network to connect more households.
The newly secured funding is expected to address this bottleneck by focusing on last-mile connectivity and the procurement of advanced metering systems.
“For the record, this is not a case where we are just signing an agreement that is exploratory. This is an agreement we signed today for the funds to begin to flow. This is a discussion that started eight months ago.
“From signing an MoU to Terms Sheet, to getting a Concession Agreement, today we are signing the final agreement and we expect that the investment funds will start to flow immediately, as they should have started with the connectivity to the last mile, and the procurement of the metres will commence,” Mbah assured.
Ambassador Schlesinger commended Governor Mbah for promoting international partnerships and prioritising sustainable development. “I wish to laud His Excellency Dr Peter Mbah for his vision to transform the water management systems for Enugu City, with its ultimate goal of ensuring equitable access to clean water.
“Governor Mbah is a great friend of Austria. He has visited Vienna twice, where he met with ministers, international organisations and the business community; and he is a very active supporter of Austrian companies in Enugu.
“This investment, therefore, is a testimony of his excellent work and his vision for Enugu State,” he said.
He also lauded the leadership of Dr Ugochukwu Ugbor, Chairman of Wande Nexus, who has extensive experience in addressing sustainability and infrastructure challenges globally. Schlesinger asserted the project’s success, given the combination of visionary governance and skilled project leadership.
Dr Ugbor, representing Wande Nexus, spoke on the favourable investment climate under Governor Mbah’s administration as a key factor in securing the partnership.
He pledged the company’s focus on delivering on its objectives, which include creating 500 direct jobs, developing local expertise in modern water management, and improving public health and economic opportunities in the state.
The state government’s plans also include increasing daily water production to 200 million litres by 2025, supported by budgetary allocations to enhance upstream water systems.
With the infusion of FDI and local investment, Enugu aims to build a sustainable and efficient water distribution network, positioning itself as a model for infrastructure development in Nigeria.
