The Presidency has hailed the growing collaboration between the Federal Government and Imo State, saying the partnership is accelerating infrastructure development, expanding economic opportunities and advancing the objectives of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The position was made known on Wednesday during the Presidential Media Tour of Projects in Imo State, where members of the Presidential Media Team and the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA) inspected key projects executed by the Federal Government and the Hope Uzodimma administration.

The three-day tour, which follows similar visits to Ebonyi, Enugu and Abia states, is designed to showcase projects being implemented under the Renewed Hope Agenda and demonstrate how collaboration between the Federal Government and state governments is driving development across the country.

Speaking during the inspection, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Special Duties, Tunde Rahman, said the projects underscored the benefits of aligning state development priorities with those of the Federal Government.

He noted that the Imo State Government had complemented federal interventions by executing projects that ordinarily fall within the Federal Government’s responsibility, describing the approach as a practical demonstration of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Rahman also cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as one of the administration’s major interventions, saying it was helping students remain in school despite financial challenges.

“For students benefiting from NELFUND, they no longer need to abandon school simply because their parents cannot afford the cost. The government has shown clearly that when the Federal Government and state governments work together, the people benefit,” he said.

Defending the removal of fuel subsidy, Rahman said the reform had strengthened the finances of states and created more room for infrastructure investment.

“It shows clearly that the government is a thinking government and that the idea of removing subsidy was well thought out. Reforms are usually painful at the beginning, but ultimately people will see the gains.

“Wherever we have visited, governors have consistently told us they now have more resources to execute development projects. The full benefits of the reforms will become even more evident with time,” he added.

Speaking during the tour, Imo State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, described the Federal Government’s upgrade of Alvan Ikoku College of Education to a Federal University of Education as the fulfilment of a long-standing aspiration of the state.

He said successive administrations had pursued the conversion without success until it was approved under President Tinubu’s administration, adding that the development had already created employment opportunities and expanded access to higher education.

“This is one of the oldest Federal Colleges of Education in Nigeria. Every government wanted it upgraded but could not achieve it. It was under the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma that it was realised, and the people of Imo are grateful to the Federal Government for making it happen,” Emelumba said.

The commissioner also highlighted the reconstruction of the Owerri-Mbaise-Umuahia and Owerri-Okigwe federal roads by the state government under a reimbursement arrangement with the Federal Government, saying the projects had restored connectivity to several communities, reduced travel time and eased the movement of people and agricultural produce.

He attributed the pace of infrastructure development in the state to prudent management of public resources and improved revenue following the removal of fuel subsidy.

“The governor has consistently said he would prudently manage public funds, and that is what you are seeing. Most of these projects were executed without borrowing, while increased allocations following subsidy removal have enabled investments in roads, electricity and other infrastructure, as well as the payment of salaries, pensions and outstanding gratuities,” he said.

On the ongoing expansion of the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Emelumba said the project would position Imo as a logistics and export hub for the South-East.

According to him, the cargo terminal, which includes eight warehouses and an Afreximbank-backed quality assurance centre for export products, would lower logistics costs, facilitate trade and create employment across the region.

Providing an update on the project, Manager of the Sam Mbakwe International Airport, Dr Ann Nkechi Ihekwaba, said the runway extension had entered its final phase.

She explained that the runway was being extended from 2,700 metres to 3,200 metres to enable the airport accommodate wide-bodied aircraft and international operations.

“We are already in the third and final phase. If weather conditions remain favourable, the runway should be ready within two months. Once completed, any wide-bodied aircraft will be able to operate here comfortably at the required international standard,” she said.

Ihekwaba added that work on the cargo terminal was also progressing, noting that once operational, the airport would serve as a major gateway for import and export activities across the South-Eas