By Chukwuma Anurunkem
In a move as symbolic as it is historic, the United Nations recently conferred the title of Mayor of Peace on Dr. Chimezie Amadi, the Honourable Commissioner for Digital Economy and E-Government, Imo State. While some may have seen the recognition as ceremonial, those who have followed Dr. Amadi’s transformative work know that this is a well-deserved recognition, deeply rooted in visible progress, visionary leadership, and people centric impact.
At the core of this recognition is a powerful truth: peace is not the absence of war, but the presence of opportunities—especially for the young and restless population in regions burdened by unemployment, disillusionment, and socio-economic instability. Through strategic innovation, digital inclusion, and purpose-driven leadership, Dr. Amadi has built one of the most progressive peace, building frameworks in Nigeria, not through bullets, but through bandwidth.
In the past 3 years, Dr. Amadi has led initiatives, programs and platforms such as Skillup Imo, My Imo App, Connected Imo project, Skillup Imo Techosphere etc through the ministry of Digital Economy and eGovernment that have helped to achieve sustainable peace in Imo state. Arguably the crown jewel of the Ministry’s program; Skillup Imo is more than a digital literacy program, it is a social reengineering mechanism. Envisioned by the Governor of Imo State and executed by Dr. Chimezie adi with the understanding that joblessness is one of the root causes of youth restiveness. Through Skillup Imo, thousands of young people across the state are not only acquiring digital skills such as coding, data analysis, AI engineering, and UI/UX design, but they are also being connected to global workspaces via remote jobs, gig economy platforms, and startup ecosystems. This is not abstract development theory. It’s real change you can touch, see, and measure, with lives being turned around daily. Former street urchins and at-risk youth are now earning in dollars, building careers, and becoming symbols of possibility in their communities. It is no surprise that this level of empowerment has led to a significant drop in digital illiteracy, crime, and social unrest.
Peace thrives in an environment where citizens feel heard, seen, and served. Through My Imo App, the government is no longer a distant, intimidating institution—it is now in the palms of citizens. From e-governance services to public updates, Imolites can now engage their leaders without barriers. The Connected Imo Project, another masterstroke, is bridging digital divides across local governments. It is redefining what access means, not just access to the internet, but to information, opportunity, and ultimately, hope. Under Dr. Amadi’s watch, digital equity is no longer a political slogan, it is a lived reality.
With the Skillup Imo Techosphere, Dr. Amadi isn’t just training tech workers, he’s building a digital ecosystem that ensures job creation is sustainable and scalable. This is a space where ideas are incubated, startups are born, and the dignity of labour is restored. Here, youths are not treated as charity cases but as co-creators of a new economic narrative for Imo State. Imo is no longer a quiet spectator in the Nigerian tech scene. It is becoming a voice of innovation, a hub of digital entrepreneurship, and a model for technology-driven peacebuilding.
Dr. Chimezie Amadi is not one for noise or political grandstanding. Yet, his footprints are everywhere, quietly reshaping policies, building platforms, mentoring leaders, and securing partnerships that ensure his vision has both depth and longevity. He understands that true peace must be built on purpose. It must come from ensuring the young people of Imo are too busy building their futures to pick up arms, too engaged in productive ventures to be used as political thugs, too hopeful to be hopeless.
Dr. Chimezie Amadi is indeed a mayor of peace. The United Nations couldn’t have made a better choice. In an age where global conflict is often addressed with diplomacy and weapons, Chimezie Amadi is using the coding bootcamp over the boot of the soldier, the laptop over the loudspeaker, and innovation over intimidation. Through his work, peace is not just being preached in Imo, it is being practically achieved.
Imo is no longer just a state on the Nigerian map. It is now a digital force, a peaceful frontier, and a beacon of what happens when leadership meets vision.
So yes, Mayor of Peace is not just a title for Dr. Chimezie Amadi, it is a testimony of impact, a declaration of legacy, and a call to scale this model across Africa and the world.
