Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has launched a major urban renewal initiative aimed at repositioning Nnewi as a leading industrial and commercial hub, Channels Television reported. The plan focuses on revamping neglected public assets and critical infrastructure in the southeastern Nigerian city, long known as one of the country's busiest trading centres, and was set out during a visit that drew a warm reception from traders and residents.
At the heart of the drive is a site that has stood idle for years. The long-abandoned Nkwo Nnewi triangle shopping complex, a sprawling commercial facility, has remained dormant for nearly 17 years despite its strategic location within one of the busiest trading hubs in southeastern Nigeria, making it a symbol of the wasted potential the governor says he now wants to reverse.
Soludo used the inspection to set out his vision for the complex. He said the facility would be transformed rather than left as an eyesore, with a section set aside for a park and a place for leisure where people can take in fresh air. Everywhere cannot be a market, he said, adding that there would also be spaces where people can relax and refresh after their business activities.
Housing formed another part of the governor's plans for the area. He announced that a housing estate would be developed, pointing to Nnewi's status as a large and fast-growing town. He stressed that the rapid urban growth of the city requires deliberate planning and an expansion of residential infrastructure if it is to keep pace with rising demand from a swelling population.
The tour extended well beyond the shopping complex to other key parts of the city. The governor moved through locations including the post office precinct and the area around the high court, assessing existing infrastructure and directing relevant government agencies to fold those sites into a comprehensive urban renewal programme covering Nnewi and other parts of the state.
Land lying unused across the city also drew the governor's attention. He disclosed plans to identify and repurpose underutilised public lands, converting them into green parks, leisure centres and commercial facilities. The aim, he said, is to improve the quality of life for residents while opening up new economic opportunities in a city built around commerce.
Soludo was accompanied by senior government officials, among them the commissioners responsible for works and housing, as well as local government chairmen who joined in assessing the viability of the proposed projects. For residents and traders who have watched valuable public assets lie idle for years, the visit rekindled hopes of a transformed urban environment in Nnewi.