The Southeast Development Commission (SEDC) has put in place a mechanism to unveil a long-term development road map for the Southeast zone. This is even as the region prepares to host the Southeast Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholders Forum in Enugu on the 3rd of February, 2026.
This was made known by the Commission's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Hon. Mark Okoye, during an address to newsmen in Enugu.
He stressed that this initiative is geared towards addressing decades of long infrastructure deficits, ecological challenges, and economic fragmentation in the Southeast zone.
Hon. Okoye highlighted that the SEDC, a federal government agency established to accelerate regional development, has spent the past 11 months laying a solid, strategic foundation since its inauguration on February 10, 2025.
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He said, "By law, the Commission was created to address infrastructure challenges in the Southeast, dating back to the Civil War era, as well as ecological issues, while also developing a long-term regional master plan in partnership with state and non-state actors".
The Managing Director of SEDC revealed that the Vision 2050 forum, themed "Charting a Shared Path to Sustainable Prosperity for the Southeast," is the outcome of extensive engagements with Southeast governors and over 250 federal government agencies since the Commission was set up.
Hon. Okoye highlighted that although the Commission is yet to receive funding for project execution, it has developed robust ideas and frameworks to drive development and is determined not to rely solely on government support.
He, however, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for establishing the Commission decades after the end of the civil war, describing it as a critical step toward addressing historical development gaps in the Southeast region.
Hon. Okoye highlighted that the conference would bring together a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including state governments, the organised private sector, youth groups, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, development partners, commissioners for budget and planning, and the Ministry of Regional Development across the zone.
The Chief Executive Officer of SEDC disclosed that about 73 Southeast citizens from the diaspora would participate in the forum, while the technical sessions would focus on agriculture, food security, energy, industrialisation, and youth employment.
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According to him, among the key proposals to be discussed is a regional gas pipeline project, tailored to ensure energy security, boost industrial growth, and create jobs for the young populace.
He furthermore disclosed plans to establish the Southeast Investment Company, the Commission's investment arm, which will include a venture capital initiative to support tech startups and innovative enterprises in the zone.
Hon. Okoye stated that a comprehensive policy document would be produced within 6 weeks of the forum, stressing that SEDC's interventions would complement existing state-level development initiatives.
"We have clear designs and plans for the Southeast. What we need now is sustained support, collaboration and financial muscle, to move from planning to the execution stage".
