NIPSS Team Commends Mayor Nwaubani’s Leadership, Inspects Projects in Ikwuano

By Chinazaekpere Chinwendu,

Ikwuano, Abia State| September 11, 2026 — 

The National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Abuja, has commended the Executive Mayor of Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, Hon. Anthony Nzeribe Nwaubani, Ph.D., FCA, FCIB, for what it described as impressive performance and strategic leadership in grassroots administration.

The commendation came on Thursday when a delegation from the Abuja Office of NIPSS, led by Prince Rotimi O. Omopariola, visited the Ikwuano Local Government Secretariat as part of an assessment of policies, strategies and governance practices at the grassroots.

Other members of the delegation were Miss Grace Lolade and Engr. Boma Jack.

The visit was aimed at assessing the principles, policies and strategies driving local government administration in Ikwuano, particularly the processes through which policies are formulated and implemented and their impact on the people.

The team also sought to identify challenges associated with the practical implementation of policies at the grassroots and examine governance practices that could provide useful lessons for other local government areas.

Speaking during the engagement, the leader of the delegation, Prince Omopariola, said Ikwuano was among the local government areas selected for the exercise because of the impressive scorecard of the Nwaubani administration.

He explained that the assessment would contribute to the selection of the three best-performing local government areas in Abia State, after which the three best local governments nationally would be identified based on demonstrated best practices in policy formulation, strategic planning and implementation.

The delegation engaged the Mayor in an extensive question-and-answer session covering various aspects of local government administration. The questions touched on policy formulation, financial management, human-resource development, infrastructure, education, healthcare, youth development, ICT and the effective utilisation of local government resources.

The team expressed satisfaction with the depth and professional quality of the Mayor’s responses to the issues raised during the interaction.

In his presentation, Nwaubani gave a detailed account of the processes adopted by his administration in formulating and implementing policies, while emphasising adherence to financial regulations, accountability and prudent management of the council’s resources.

He also stressed the importance of collaboration among the Federal, State and Local Governments, noting that effective synergy among the three tiers was essential to delivering sustainable development and improving the wellbeing of citizens.

“The bottom line of governance at every level is the wellbeing of the people. Therefore, collaboration and synergy among the Federal, State and Local Governments are not merely desirable, but strategic to achieving meaningful and sustainable development,” Nwaubani said.

He added that his administration had deliberately focused on policies and programmes capable of producing tangible results, rather than limiting governance to plans and pronouncements.

“Our responsibility is to translate policies into tangible outcomes that the people can see, feel and benefit from. This is why we have placed emphasis on infrastructure, education, healthcare, human-capacity development, youth and ICT development, as well as prudent management of the resources entrusted to us,” the Mayor stated.

Nwaubani highlighted several areas of intervention by his administration, including infrastructure development and management, human-resource development, youth empowerment, ICT development, quality education, healthcare delivery, training and general human-capacity building.

He also presented the NIPSS team with an extensive account of completed and ongoing projects across Ikwuano, explaining how the administration had sought to transform policy decisions into concrete development initiatives.

The delegation subsequently inspected the ongoing two-storey administrative block at the Ikwuano Local Government Secretariat, which is nearing completion.

Members of the team expressed particular admiration for the structure, describing it as one of the notable administrative buildings in the State. They also commended its accessibility features, particularly the provision of a pathway extending from the ground floor to the upper floor to facilitate access for persons living with disabilities.

The Mayor thereafter led the delegation to the Ikwuano Council’s Pepper and Poultry Farms, where the team inspected the agricultural projects being implemented as part of the council’s development initiatives.

The five-hectare Pepper Farm was described as one of the notable agricultural projects in the State, while the Poultry Farm was also said to be progressing satisfactorily, with the birds approaching maturity.

Nwaubani explained that the agricultural projects were part of the broader strategic vision of the administration of the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, particularly in promoting innovative approaches to development, food production and economic empowerment.

He noted that the projects also demonstrated the importance of collaboration between the State and Local Government in translating broader development policies into grassroots initiatives.

At the end of the assessment and project inspection, the NIPSS delegation commended Nwaubani for the performance of his administration, particularly its approach to policy implementation, infrastructure development, resource management and human-capacity development.

The visit is expected to provide NIPSS with valuable insights into governance practices at the grassroots as the institute continues its assessment towards identifying local government areas demonstrating exemplary approaches to policy and strategic implementation.