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By Chekwube Nzomiwu
January next year (2026) will make it two years since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assented to the bill establishing the South East Development Commission (SEDC) and, subsequently, inaugurated the board of the commission. The commission was established to address the long-standing infrastructure and economic challenges in Nigeria’s South East region, comprising five states, namely, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, listed in alphabetical order.
The 16-man board of SEDC has a former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Hon. Dr. Emeka Wogu, as the Chairman and Mr. Mark Okoye II, an architect, as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer. Former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka, is the Executive Director of Finance.
The other Executive Directors are Hon. Toby Okechukwu (Projects), Chief Sylvester Okonkwo (Corporate Services), Chidi Ezeazu and Dr. Clifford Ogbede. The board also includes some Non-Executive Directors.
A visitor to the official website of the SEDC will see its mission and vision. The mission is “to drive sustainable economic growth and unity in the South East geo-political zone through strategic investments and empowerment initiatives,” while the vision is “to position the South East as the preferred investment destination in Africa by 2035.”
However, five weeks to the second anniversary of the commission, there is nothing on ground to show that the SEDC is on course to make the South East the preferred investment destination in Africa. The lethargic state of affairs in the SEDC is in sharp contrast with the vibrancy seen in its peers across the country.
For instance, the North West Development Commission (NWDC) has been building strategic public-private sector partnerships to move the North West Region forward. In March this year, Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf donated land worth N3 billion for the construction of the permanent headquarters of the NWDC in Kano.
Similarly, in May, BUA Group handed over a fully equipped multi-purpose building in Kano to serve as the temporary headquarters. The President and Founder of MAAUN Group of Universities, Professor Adamau Abubakar Gwarzo also donated a seven-floor building to the NWDC to be used as its head office in Kano.
Also, the South West Development Commission (SWDC) has hit the ground running. According to recent media reports, SWDC has commenced discussion with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to revive abandoned railway routes in the South West region of the country. Quoting the Chief Public Relations Officer of NRC, Callistus Unyimadu, the move would boost regional connectivity and stimulate economic growth.
While the other development commissions have swung into action, SEDC appears to be lagging behind in the journey to institutionalise regional development as a tool for national stability, economic growth and national development. As of the time of writing this article, the SEDC appears not to have a clear direction. This is a cause for concern for the South East, a region that has for so long yearned for adequate federal presence.
Although the SEDC has existed for almost two years, its impact is yet to be felt in any of the five states of the region. Even information about the commission and its activities is very scanty on its website, which is hardly updated.
The almost dormant state of the commission has started dampening the enthusiasm of those of us who applauded the proliferation of regional commissions, as a significant step towards national inclusion and regional prosperity.
In fact, many people in the South East are now doubtful that SEDC can realise its plan to grow the economy of the region from $40 billion to $200 billion, ten years from now. Nearly two years after the take-off of the commission, its vision is yet to be translated into any tangible action, beyond the “highfalutin” sound bite of making Eastern Nigeria a preferred investment destination in Africa.
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In the first week of July, the commission unveiled its 10-year roadmap to transform the region at a colourful ceremony in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The people of the South East are wondering why a commission established to transform their region should choose Abuja for the unveiling of its roadmap.
I tried to speak with the SEDC Director of Corporate Services, Chief Sylvester Okonkwo, hoping that he could allay my fears about the commission, but my efforts ended in vain. As of the time of writing this article, a text message that I sent to Chief Okonkwo more than one month ago has not been replied.
Sincerely, I do not know whether the problem with SEDC is lack of commitment or over politicisation. It could even be incompetence. In any case, it is public knowledge that the National Assembly approved a budgetary allocation of N140 billion for SEDC in 2025 alone. So, why can’t the commission function?
I do not want to be too quick to conclude, but if after two years the commission has not made any meaningful impact in the South East with the humongous budgetary allocation it got this year, its vision to make the region a preferred investment destination in Africa by 2035, may remain a pipe dream.
The people of the South East have cried over marginalisation for too long. The creation of the SEDC is without a doubt a golden opportunity to wipe their tears. This golden opportunity must not be frittered away.
South Easterners expect the commission, working in synergy with the state governments, to re-enact the economic growth and development in Eastern Nigeria in the 1960s under the leadership of Dr. Michael Okpara (of blessed memory) as the Premier of then-Eastern Region. During that glorious era, the Eastern region ranked among the fastest growing economies in the world, alongside the four Asian Tigers, namely Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea.
Relying on revenue from Agriculture, Okpara turned Eastern Nigeria into an industrial and manufacturing hub. Under Okpara, Aba became a key manufacturing and commercial hub in Nigeria. The Okpara administration built a gas plant and asbestos cement factory in Emene, near Enugu and established a cement factory at Nkalagu town, in the present-day Ebonyi State. Farm settlements, plantations, cattle ranches and other livestock ventures were established within Eastern Nigeria.
Unfortunately, Okpara’s vision suffered a setback during the Nigeria-Biafra war, which was mainly fought in the Igbo dominated area of Eastern Nigeria. In spite of the declaration of “No victor, No vanquished” by the military administration of General Yakubu Gowon after the war and federal government’s implementation of its 3Rs policy (Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction) the South East has not fully recovered from the socio-economic and environmental impact of the war on the region.
While the 30-month war retarded economic growth and development in Eastern Nigeria, the Asian Tigers recorded rapid industrialisation and astronomical economic growth between 1960 and 1990s. Their success was driven by export-oriented strategies, a focus on education and skilled labour, as well as strategic government policies.
I believe strongly that with the SEDC in place, the South East can catch up and possibly overtake the Asian Tigers, if the necessary things are done. I therefore expect the management of the commission to wake up from its slumber, sit down and critically study the experience of the Asian Tigers, and based on their findings, articulate a people-driven development agenda for the region.
To conclude, the success of SEDC depends on its ability to effectively institutionalise its processes, coordinate the implementation of its roadmap and produce tangible results, which are capable of addressing the core needs of the people, such as security of lives and property, uninterrupted electricity supply, improved transport infrastructure, provision of basic healthcare services and quality education from primary to tertiary level. Hence, all stakeholders should work together to ensure that the commission meets the expectations of the people of the South East zone.
• Dr. Nzomiwu MNIPR is the Director of Media and Publicity, Development Communication Research Association of Nigeria (DECRAN). Reactions to this article are welcome via [email protected]
