Inside Imo’s bid to build the South-East’s next innovation economy

Roads have reopened abandoned trade routes, hospitals are regaining lost accreditation, an airport is preparing for international cargo operations and a digital city is nurturing tomorrow’s technology workforce. Tope Omogbolagun examines how Imo State is attempting to reinvent itself through infrastructure, healthcare and innovation.

A few years ago, motorists approaching the Akokwa-Uga corridor in Imo State had little choice but to slow to a crawl, weave through makeshift diversions or abandon the route altogether.

Gully erosion had carved through the highway, cutting communities off from one another and disrupting the movement of people, farm produce and commerce.

Today, the same stretch tells a different story. Fresh asphalt now overlays what was once a nightmare, solar-powered streetlights illuminate sections of the road, and heavy construction equipment is gradually giving way to free-flowing traffic.

But roads are only part of the story.

Across Imo State, another transformation is unfolding, one that stretches from an expanding international cargo airport and revitalised teaching hospital to a Digital City where young people are being introduced to artificial intelligence, drone technology and the skills driving the global knowledge economy.

Together, the projects form the backbone of an ambitious attempt to reposition the state as both a logistics gateway and a technology hub in Nigeria’s South-East, while illustrating how federal reforms and state implementation are increasingly intersecting to shape development outcomes.

The projects were among those showcased during a media tour organised under the Renewed Hope Ambassadors initiative, where journalists traversed the state to inspect investments in transportation, healthcare, education, technology and urban renewal.

For Imo State officials, the developments reflect a governance model built around collaboration with the Federal Government.

“This road links more than seven communities and several local governments,” Declan Emelumba, the Imo State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, said while inspecting the reconstructed Owerri-Mbaise-Umuahia road.

“Before now, it was horrible. There were potholes everywhere, but today you can drive through smoothly.

“It is a federal road executed by the state government on the understanding that the Federal Government will reimburse us.”

That partnership extends beyond one highway.

The Owerri-Okigwe road, another critical commercial artery connecting Imo to neighbouring states, once symbolised decades of neglect. According to Emelumba, motorists spent between two and three hours navigating failed sections of the road, with many forced onto bush paths because entire portions had become impassable.

“Today, the same journey takes only a few minutes,” he said.

“This road connects more than six local governments and serves as an important commercial corridor.

“Farmers can now move produce to Owerri much more easily, businesses are spending less time on the road and economic activities have improved significantly.”

Perhaps the most dramatic example of engineering intervention is the Orlu-Mgbee-Akokwa-Uga federal road, where massive gully erosion had literally split communities apart.

Standing beside a newly constructed bridge spanning the reclaimed erosion site, Emelumba recalled that for nearly a decade residents had little choice but to navigate dangerous alternative routes.

“If you had come here three or four years ago, there was simply no road. The erosion had cut this place into two,” he said.

“It took courage, vision and determination to undertake a project of this magnitude because it required enormous resources.

“But the governor insisted that restoring this road was critical because it links Imo with Anambra and serves as an important commercial route.”

Engineers supervising the project explained that extensive land reclamation, river diversion and bridge construction were required before road works could commence.

The significance of these investments goes beyond shorter travel times.

Roads remain the arteries through which commerce flows, particularly in a region where trade dominates economic life.

Better connectivity means agricultural produce reaches urban markets faster, transportation costs decline and businesses become more competitive.

The same philosophy underpins another flagship investment, the expansion of the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport.

The facility is being transformed from a largely passenger airport into a regional cargo hub capable of handling wide-bodied international aircraft.

Airport officials explained that the runway is being extended from 2,700 metres to 3,200 metres, allowing aircraft such as the Boeing 747 to operate comfortably while meeting international standards.

Beyond the runway, a cargo terminal equipped with multiple warehouses is nearing completion.

The project is expected to reduce logistics costs for businesses that currently move imports through Lagos before transporting them hundreds of kilometres inland.

“Igbos are naturally traders,” Emelumba stated.

“Having a cargo airport here means our businessmen and women can bring in goods directly instead of relying on distant ports. That will reduce costs, create jobs and stimulate economic activities across the South-East.”

He also disclosed that Afreximbank is establishing a quality assurance centre within the airport to certify export products before shipment, an initiative expected to strengthen regional exports and improve access to international markets.

If transportation provides the arteries of development, healthcare represents another pillar of the state’s transformation agenda.

At the Imo State University Teaching Hospital in Orlu, officials point to investments that have reversed years of institutional decline.

Victor Samson, the Executive Assistant to the Chief Medical Director, recalled a period when consultants and resident doctors left because of inadequate funding and deteriorating infrastructure.

Today, he says, the story has changed.

Modern laboratories, specialist equipment, improved infrastructure and solar-powered electricity have restored confidence among both healthcare professionals and patients.

Among the flagship projects are a heart transplant facility, an upgraded oxygen plant and a 200-bed infectious disease centre being developed through a partnership involving Seplat Energy, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and government institutions.

“At one point this hospital supplied oxygen across the South-East,” Samson said.

“Our patient inflow has increased tremendously because people now have confidence in the services we provide.”