Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, said coal deposits in the state would be used to generate 1,000mw of power, and would not be treated as a stranded asset without adequate compensation.
Mbah explained that coal deposits in the state have about 0.5 sulphuric content, saying he was counting on technology to make the impact of coal utilisation on the environment minimal.
Mbah spoke on Thursday in Lagos when he was the guest of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) “Meet the Governor Series,” where he presented a business case for investing in Enugu State.
He said: “We cannot treat our coal as a stranded asset, particularly the Enugu coal, which is a premium coal.
“Our target is to see how we can use our coal to generate at least 1000 megawatts of power. We do have technology today that makes coal utilisation less adverse to the environment. Essentially, that is the direction for us.
“Coal deposits in Enugu have less than 0.5 per cent sulphur content. For a lot of coal, if you have 1.0 per cent, you are still okay. But we have 0.5 per cent.
“Our coal is also very good for fire power plants due to its high calorific value. So, we are on that, and we are not going to warehouse our coal resources.
“However, if we have to warehouse or treat coal as a stranded asset, then there has to be a conversation on compensation.”
Mbah also said that his administration had cut the crime rate in the state by 80 per cent and was putting infrastructure in place to attract three million visitors per year.
“Businesses are not designed to absorb security challenges. So, we have to get that out of the way. That is why we invested hugely in the area of security to build infrastructures that will enable us to defeat criminal activities.
Mbah also said that his administration had cut the crime rate in the state by 80 per cent and was putting infrastructure in place to attract three million visitors per year.
“Businesses are not designed to absorb security challenges. So, we have to get that out of the way. That is why we invested hugely in the area of security to build infrastructures that will enable us to defeat criminal activities.
“Today, in Enugu, we have reduced the crime rate by over 80 per cent,” he said.
Mba revealed that in furtherance of tourism contribution to the state’s economy, he completed the Enugu International Conference Centre, ICC, which hosted 20,000 participants during the 2025 Nigerian Bar Association’s Annual General Conference, while the ICC 5-Star Hotel was nearing completion and would be delivered soon.
“Enugu naturally lends itself to tourism. We are building the Cross of Hope, which is something we want to put in place to attract religious tourism.
“The highest point in Enugu State is about 580 metres above sea level, and we are bringing a massive cross of about 100 metres to put on its highest point.
“Our plan is to bring in three million visitors. So, we worked with an investor to get the concessioning of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, said coal deposits in the state would be used to generate 1,000mw of power, and would not be treated as a stranded asset without adequate compensation.
Mbah explained that coal deposits in the state have about 0.5 sulphuric content, saying he was counting on technology to make the impact of coal utilisation on the environment minimal.
Mbah spoke on Thursday in Lagos when he was the guest of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) “Meet the Governor Series,” where he presented a business case for investing in Enugu State.
He said: “We cannot treat our coal as a stranded asset, particularly the Enugu coal, which is a premium coal.
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“Our target is to see how we can use our coal to generate at least 1000 megawatts of power. We do have technology today that makes coal utilisation less adverse to the environment. Essentially, that is the direction for us.
“Coal deposits in Enugu have less than 0.5 per cent sulphur content. For a lot of coal, if you have 1.0 per cent, you are still okay. But we have 0.5 per cent.
“Our coal is also very good for fire power plants due to its high calorific value. So, we are on that, and we are not going to warehouse our coal resources.
“However, if we have to warehouse or treat coal as a stranded asset, then there has to be a conversation on compensation.”
Mbah also said that his administration had cut the crime rate in the state by 80 per cent and was putting infrastructure in place to attract three million visitors per year.
“Businesses are not designed to absorb security challenges. So, we have to get that out of the way. That is why we invested hugely in the area of security to build infrastructures that will enable us to defeat criminal activities.
Mba revealed that in furtherance of tourism contribution to the state’s economy, he completed the Enugu International Conference Centre, ICC, which hosted 20,000 participants during the 2025 Nigerian Bar Association’s Annual General Conference, while the ICC 5-Star Hotel was nearing completion and would be delivered soon.
“Enugu naturally lends itself to tourism. We are building the Cross of Hope, which is something we want to put in place to attract religious tourism.
“The highest point in Enugu State is about 580 metres above sea level, and we are bringing a massive cross of about 100 metres to put on its highest point.
“Our plan is to bring in three million visitors. So, we worked with an investor to get the concessioning of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.
“Hopefully, the international wing of the airport will be operational by the first quarter of 2026. We are also investing in building the cargo terminal.
“We are looking at bringing in an additional six aircraft for Enugu Air for the Christmas season. We are obviously going to expand very quickly because we have surpassed our projections within one month of operation,” he said.
