Since 2006, Anambra State has effectively functioned as a one-party state under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). While the state’s political stability under the party could have been a strength, it has instead proven to be a major liability.
APGA, as a regional party with no real influence at the federal level, has presided over a state increasingly marginalized in Nigeria’s development agenda. The result has been a vicious cycle of underdevelopment, stagnation and missed opportunities.
This unbiased text explores how Anambra’s single-party structure, combined with its disconnection from federal power, has contributed significantly to its developmental paralysis, especially when compared to more strategically connected states like Lagos and Kano.
Let’s take the journey bit by bit. Anambra’s political isolation is perhaps it’s most glaring disadvantage. APGA’s lack of federal alignment has meant that the state has been excluded from major national projects and funding priorities.
While other states enjoy the dividends of political integration, Anambra is left begging for attention. The state is often bypassed in national infrastructural planning. Federal roads in Anambra remain in disrepair for years with little urgency from Abuja. Major federal investments and industrial schemes routinely go to states aligned with the ruling party.
In contrast, Lagos and Kano and recently our neighboring south eastern states continue to attract rail projects and housing schemes because their governments maintain strategic political relevance at the centre.
The absence of real political competition in Anambra has created an atmosphere of complacency and mediocrity. With little fear of opposition pressure or electoral upset, APGA administrations have governed with minimal accountability:
There is no vigorous opposition to check excesses or challenge poor policy decisions. Political appointments are recycled within a small circle, limiting fresh ideas and innovation. The party structure is more loyal to personalities than performance metrics. States with vibrant opposition benefit from policy debates and competing development visions that force governments to perform.
While federal-state collaboration is vital in a federation like Nigeria, Anambra under APGA has often failed to secure meaningful partnerships. The state struggles to co-finance or attract federal interventions. Many national programmes such as the Conditional Cash Transfer, MSME Survival Fund and Anchor Borrowers Scheme were under-implemented in Anambra.
This systemic disconnect has left the state under resourced and lacking support for large scale development, especially in sectors like power, transport, and industry. The cosmetic nature of development projects APGA governments have often focused on symbolic projects meant to impress during election cycles rather than sustainable development.
Anambra’s lack of political diversity has diluted the urgency to deliver results. With APGA entrenched in every arm of the state’s political machinery. There is little transparency or urgency in service delivery. Critical sectors like health and education are underfunded and poorly managed. Corruption goes largely unchecked due to weak opposition and oversight.
States with more diverse political dynamics, such as noncentral PDP states, experience more activism from civil society and media. Anambra’s economic dreams industrial hubs, export zones, and innovation cities have remained on paper. Without strong links to federal agencies and access to international funding through Abuja. Proposed projects lack financing and feasibility support.
Foreign investors are wary of investing in a politically isolated region. Infrastructure deficits continue to scare away serious business interest. Anambra is rich in talent and youth entrepreneurship, but there is no statewide policy framework to harness this energy. No digital economy master plan.
No government backed startup funding or incubation hubs. The educational curriculum is outdated and detached from market demands. Lagos’ youths are empowered through government incentives in tech, entertainment and finance.
In Anambra, talent continues to migrate out of desperation. Health centres are under equipped and understaffed. Rural maternal and child healthcare is almost nonexistent. Public schools suffer from dilapidated buildings and unmotivated teachers.
Other states with stronger federal ties have used counterpart funding and PPPs to fund and push their projects forward. Anambra’s future hinges on political realignment. A single-party state with no federal presence cannot thrive in a federal system like Nigeria’s.
The people must demand better more competition, more inclusion, more engagement with the centre. Until Anambra opens up its political space and builds bridges with the national government, it will remain an under-achiever rich in potential but starved of the structural support needed to grow.
