By Peter Obi
It (the 2008 budget) was based on the vision of achieving the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015 as stipulated by the United Nations during the Millennium Development Summit in 2000.

The strategy for achieving this was christened Anambra Integrated Development Strategy, ANIDS, which is a process for planning, budgeting and implementation of all sectors of the Millennium Development Goals simultaneously.

Hence, the budget of 2008 was tagged ‘Budget of Integrated Development’, which was principally anchored on the need to turn Anambra State around and commence visible and sustainable development that would permeate all sectors. Thus, today, it has transformed Anambra State and made it a destination for donor agencies/development partners.

As part of our strategy, we turned our planning/budgeting and implementation from being supply-driven to being demand-driven, by involving all stakeholders in the planning, budgeting and implementation processes. A good case in point is the incorporation of the Presidents-General of town unions in the process of governance as experimental fourth tier of government, an innovation that is fast gaining popular acceptance. It is noteworthy that ANIDS and the sectoral programmes which it contains were borne out of the felt needs of all stakeholders expressed during a 2008 budget preparation and implementation workshop sponsored by the European Union. Since then the state has never been the same again as it turned from its pariah status to a state everybody and group want to associate with.

Some of the results of this vision can today be seen in the well-articulated and strategised road construction programme that has made Anambra one of the states with the best road network in the country. It can be seen in the revitalisation of such critical sectors as health, education, commerce and industry, institution of government, sports, to mention but a few.

It was also in tandem with such vision that for the first time structure plans were produced for Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi by the UN-HABITAT for the all-round development of the state by my administration.

Today Anambra State has shown that, with a clear vision, proper planning and frugal management of resources, a lot can be achieved. Any wonder that Anambra has fittingly turned from being Home for All manner of people to THE LIGHT OF THE NATION.

Today, as the light has started shining, I urge all of you, great people of Anambra State, to make it shine brighter, which is the principal reason why we decided to commemorate the events by organising a public lecture to ask ourselves probing questions and chart a new course for our development.

May I at this juncture thank all who contributed to the success of this event, especially the League of Anambra Professionals, LAP, ASA World and ASA USA who have worked closely with my government for the good of our State. To the people of Anambra State, I thank you for your abiding faith in us.

Most importantly, we thank God for His mercies upon us.