When Chukwuma Soludo appointed Chiamaka Nnake as Secretary to the State Government in March 2026, it marked a shift in how Anambra is managing power and performance. At 39, Nnake became the first woman to hold that office.
For the uninformed, Nnake’s rise did not start in politics. She built her career in finance and strategy, working with firms such as PwC, IHS Towers, and Meristem Securities. She holds a first-class degree in Accounting, an MBA, and is a Fellow of the ACCA. This background matters because her work in government has focused on numbers, systems, and results.
Before this role, she served as Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning from 2022 to 2026. In that position, she changed how the state spends money. The 2026 budget directed about 79% of funds to capital projects such as infrastructure and development, leaving a smaller share for government running costs. That decision signals a focus on long-term growth rather than short-term expenses.
Nnake also pushed stricter rules on borrowing. Loans were tied to projects expected to repay themselves, not routine government spending. At the same time, she expanded the state’s revenue base using digital systems, with a target of N60 billion in internally generated revenue. Her work extended to business reforms. Anambra improved its ranking in ease of doing business, and policies were introduced to protect small traders from heavy tax pressure.
Her new role as SSG places Nnake at the centre of coordination across ministries. This means her influence now goes beyond budgeting into overall government execution.
For residents, the key question is simple: do these reforms lead to better roads, jobs, and services? Her record suggests a focus on measurable outcomes. The next phase will test whether this approach can be scaled across the entire government.
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