The newly inaugurated governing board of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) has pledged to drive industrialisation, address infrastructural deficits, and unlock the region’s agricultural and other economic potential.
The commission’s executive director for agriculture, natural resources, and rural development, Dr Clifford Ogbede, described the SEDC’s establishment as historic “federal attention” long overdue for the region.
Ogbede, who spoke to journalists after President Bola Tinubu officially inaugurated the board in Abuja, said the commission’s establishment remains a celebration of a century for Ndigbo.
Ogbede highlighted the region’s pre-war legacy as “the fastest-growing economy in the world” and expressed confidence that the commission would revive this trajectory through structured roadmaps.
He assured that agricultural development, industrialisation and human capital initiatives would form the core of the SEDC’s strategy while emphasising the commission’s mandate to tackle ecological challenges, unemployment and infrastructure gaps.
He also expressed confidence that with federal backing, the entrepreneurial spirit of the Igbo people would drive the region toward prosperity.
He said, “The Southeast has been clamouring for reintegration since after the war, about 54 years ago. This is the first time the region is receiving federal attention of this magnitude. We thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for making this history a reality.”
“Before the war, the Southeast was the fastest-growing economy in the world. With this commission, we have a roadmap to restore that growth trajectory.
