From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

Globally renowned author and public speaker, Chimamanda Adichie has commended the positive developments in Enugu under the Governor Peter Mbah Administration, saying the state’s dark times were over.Adichie spoke during a courtesy call to Mbah at the Government House, Enugu, on the sidelines of the Things Fall Apart Festival 2025, which was held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, at the weekend.

“Arriving in Enugu, there is a feeling of calm and very welcoming. This is the city that I have always loved. I think, in the past, it had some dark times. It seems to me that the light is back,” she said.The literary icon also told Government House correspondents that she left the meeting with Mbah feeling very inspired by his long-term vision, people-oriented policies and programmes, and the impressive representation of women in his government.“I have left this meeting feeling very inspired. Surprisingly inspired because I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I have to say that I am so inspired. I am filled with a lot of admiration for the governor’s vision; for his ability to think long term, which is something that I think we need more of in this country. And also for what seems to me a very humane point and a kind of outlook that I think is borne from the desire to do well.“By doing well, I mean to do things that touch the lives of the ordinary people in Enugu State. That’s very inspiring for me. It’s also inspiring to hear and see that the women are very well represented in his cabinet,” she stated.She hailed the ongoing construction of Smart Green Schools in each of the 260 political wards in Enugu and the allocation of well over 33 per cent in the state’s 2024 and 2025 annual budgets to education.“I have always felt very strongly that education has to be at the centre of any kind of forward-looking vision for any state in Nigeria. I was very impressed to hear about the Smart Green Schools. Of course, to value something, you have to invest in it. So, that the governor of Enugu State is investing a bigger portion of the budget, more than UNESCO recommends, I think is something very powerful.“So, the idea of trying to reach children in rural areas, who might not have the opportunity to get a really very good elementary education, is again, a very inspiring example of the ability to think long-term about the problem that we have. I think it is a shining example of the way forward,” Adichie concluded.Meanwhile, receiving the multiple awards winning author, who also gifted him an autographed copy of her latest work, “Dream Count,” Governor Mbah described her as a literary giant, inspiration to the younger generation, and an ambassador of Igbo and African cultures.”Chimamanda is a proud ambassador of Igbo culture, who continues to elevate African narratives on the global stage,” he stated.He said his government was investing heavily in education to be able to produce many more of her type and others, who would paint Enugu State, Nigeria, and Africa in glowing colours in various fields of human endeavors across the world.