…As Amb. Mrs. Amaka Nweke Presents the Historic Award to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah at Government House, Enugu on Thursday
Enugu State on Thursday, 8th of January, 2026 recorded yet another defining moment in its fast-rising global profile as the Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, formally received the prestigious Overall Best Scientific Oral Presentation Award won at the XIX World Water Congress in Marrakech, Morocco, an international honour that has projected not only Enugu State but Nigeria as a whole onto the global water-governance map.
The historic trophy was officially presented to the Governor at the Government House, Enugu, by Ambassador Mrs. Amaka Nweke JP, who represented Enugu State and Nigeria at the global congress and emerged as the overall winner among scores of world-class scientists, ministers, researchers, and policy experts from over 100 countries. The presentation marked the culmination of a remarkable chain of events that began with visionary leadership at home and ended in global validation abroad.
The journey to this global triumph started with Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s bold assumption of office in 2023 and his immediate declaration of intent to transform Enugu from a historic Coal City into a modern Water City. Confronted with decades of water scarcity, infrastructural decay, and environmental degradation inherited from coal mining activities, the Governor launched one of the most ambitious water-sector reforms in Nigeria’s history. Central to this revolution was the leap in water production from a paltry 2 million litres per day to an unprecedented 120 million litres per day, backed by massive investments in treatment plants, reticulation networks, a 4.4MW gas-powered energy facility for uninterrupted supply, tariff reforms, community engagement, and sustainable governance frameworks.
It was against this backdrop that Ambassador Mrs. Amaka Nweke JP, Member IV of the Enugu State Local Government Service Commission and Chairman of its WASH Committee, was selected to represent Enugu State and Nigeria at the XIX World Water Congress, organised by the International Water Resources Association (IWRA) under the High Patronage of His Majesty, King Mohammed VI of Morocco. Her participation alone signalled growing international interest in Enugu’s water reforms, but what followed exceeded all expectations.
At the Congress in Marrakech, Ambassador Nweke delivered a powerful, data-driven, and emotionally compelling scientific presentation titled “Water and Nature: Innovative Solutions for a City in Nature, Using Enugu’s Coal City to Water City as a Case Study.” With clarity, depth, and originality, she traced Enugu’s difficult environmental past, outlined the urgent challenges of urbanisation and water insecurity, and showcased Governor Mbah’s Water-City agenda as a practical, scalable, and forward-looking model for Africa and the developing world. Her presentation highlighted nature-based solutions, sustainable urban drainage systems, rainwater harvesting, wetlands restoration, community participation, and international investment partnerships driving Enugu’s transformation.
The presentation electrified the global audience. Ministers, development partners, scientists, and water experts described Enugu’s model as a “shining example of modern water governance in Africa.” The admiration reached diplomatic levels when officials of the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco openly commended Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s reforms, hailing Enugu’s transformation as one of the most inspiring governance stories showcased at the Congress. For Nigeria, it was a rare and powerful moment of international recognition anchored on subnational innovation.
That recognition reached its peak when Ambassador Amaka Nweke was announced as the Overall Best Scientific Oral Presentation winner, a feat not achieved by any delegate in the past 19 years of the World Water Congress. Emerging tops from 65 research submissions, 46 oral presentations, and 19 scientific posters, her victory was described as historic, merit-based, and globally validated. In her emotional reflection, she recalled how “confusion turned to tears of joy,” describing the moment as a miracle made possible by divine grace and the visionary leadership of Governor Mbah.
Her return to Nigeria further underlined the national importance of the achievement. At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, hundreds of women from across organisations and communities gave her a heroic reception, singing, dancing, and chanting solidarity messages that celebrated not just her personal excellence but Governor Mbah’s inclusive governance and empowerment of women. Women groups unanimously described the global award as proof that Enugu’s leadership choices are rooted in competence, vision, and international relevance.
It was therefore fitting that Ambassador Nweke, in a symbolic and deeply significant gesture, presented the prestigious trophy to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, acknowledging him as the architect of the policies that made the global recognition possible. While presenting the award, she dedicated it entirely to the Governor and the people of Enugu State, stressing that her victory in Morocco was a direct reflection of his courage, foresight, and unwavering commitment to transformational governance.
Receiving the trophy, Governor Mbah was visibly honoured by the global recognition, describing the award as a collective victory for Enugu State and Nigeria. He reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to continue investing in sustainable infrastructure, innovation, and people-centred development, noting that Enugu’s rising global profile proves that purposeful leadership at the subnational level can reposition an entire nation.
Indeed, what began as a policy vision in Enugu has now become a global reference point, projecting Nigeria as a country capable of exporting solutions, ideas, and leadership in critical sectors like water governance and environmental sustainability. Through this award, Enugu State has not only told its story to the world, it has redefined Nigeria’s narrative on the global stage.
With the presentation of this historic trophy at Government House, Enugu State has once again demonstrated that under Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the state is not merely participating in global conversations but shaping them. From Enugu to Marrakech and back home again, the message is clear: Enugu is rising, Nigeria is shining, and the world is paying attention.
