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•Short-term mindset, quick turnover, immediate returns don’t build regions
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) has asked the people of the South East not to expect a quick fix for decades of infrastructural failure in the region.
Mark Okoye, the Managing Director of SEDC, in response to massive public enquiries on X platform, solicited patience and commitment from the people regarding the quest for an urgent response to infrastructural and other expected developments.
He said the commission’s focus is on building a solid foundation that will accelerate infrastructural and human capital development in the South-East region. He informed that SEDC was not created to replicate State or Local Government functions, but to drive long-term regional planning, coordinate region-wide infrastructure, and mobilize capital as clearly stated in the Establishment Act.
“Regional development is, by definition, long-term, evidence-driven, and capital-intensive. It does not lend itself to quick wins or ad-hoc interventions. Despite a challenging fiscal environment affecting the entire system, in the 10 months since our inauguration, we have deliberately focused on foundations. In that period, we have built a credible institution from scratch, with clear roadmaps, governance structures, and transparent internal processes.
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“We have achieved alignment with all five South East State Governments on a shared regional development approach, now being broadened through the South East Vision 2050 process. Developed bankable, region-wide project concepts in rail, power, gas, industrial parks, agro-estates, and economic corridors
“We have also secured presidential approval for the South East Investment Company that will serve as our capital mobilization and project preparation vehicle. That’s being up. We have also engaged Federal MDAs, DFIs, academia, the private sector, civil society, and the diaspora. This approach is intentional, because serious development is built through sequencing, trade-offs, and discipline, not speed or optics.
As a people, we often approach development with a short-term mindset: quick turnover, immediate returns, visible gains. That mindset does not build regions. It does not deliver rail systems, power infrastructure, industrial corridors, or competitive cities,” he posited.
The SEDC Managing Director, however, reassured the people that he is competent enough to drive the infrastructural and human capital development of the region as assigned to him by the President.
He called on individuals and stakeholders to register and participate in the South East Vision 2050 Forum that is coming up in a few days. Over 1,000 stakeholders have applied to participate in the South East Vision 2050 Forum within a few hours of the announcement,” he added.
