I’ve officially moved into the new Anambra Govt House – Gov. Soludo

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has officially taken up residence in the newly completed Anambra State Government House, marking the first time in the state’s history that both the governor’s residence and office are located in the same complex.

Speaking during a rally organized by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra Central on Saturday, where party members endorsed his bid for a second term, Governor Soludo announced that he moved into the new facility on Friday and spent his first night there.

“Let me announce to you that I have officially moved into the Anambra Light House City—the new Government House. I moved in yesterday, slept there last night, and woke up this morning to simply stroll here to this venue,” Soludo said at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka.

The newly commissioned government house, codenamed Light House Awka, is a sprawling complex comprising over 36 buildings. It includes the main government house, the official residences of the governor and deputy governor, as well as accommodations for staff and support services.

Widely praised for its architectural quality and scale, the facility has been described by some observers as the best government house in Nigeria. Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, described it as a “mini-city,” while others have likened it to Aso Rock, the seat of Nigeria’s federal government in Abuja.

The project, recently inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu, is being hailed as one of Soludo’s signature achievements. Anambra had operated from a makeshift government facility for over three decades since its creation, with successive administrations unable to complete the long-delayed government house project.

Initiated during the tenure of the late Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, the project faced multiple setbacks and was shelved by subsequent administrations, including those of Chris Ngige, Peter Obi, and Willie Obiano.

Soludo, however, revived and completed the project, emphasizing the need for functional and symbolic unity in governance. Until now, Anambra was the only state in Nigeria where the governor lived in a different town (Amawbia) from where the government house was located (Awka).

With the completion of the Light House Awka, Soludo now lives and works within a unified government complex, which he says reflects the administration’s commitment to modernization and effective governance.