Vice President Kashim Shettima has unveiled a 25-year development plan for Nigeria’s commercially vibrant south-east, pledging to harness its global diaspora and entrepreneurial flair to bridge postwar infrastructure gaps and fuel industrial growth.
Speaking at the South-East Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholders’ Forum in Enugu on Wednesday, Vice President Shettima announced that President Bola Tinubu had greenlit the South East Investment Company Limited.
According to him, the body will draw funding from diaspora networks, capital markets and development banks to work alongside the newly created South East Development Commission (SEDC) on railways, power and manufacturing hubs.
“This forum reflects foresight and responsibility,” Shettima told an audience of Governors, business leaders, traditional rulers and civil society figures.
He said “The south-east’s unique character – its entrepreneurial spirit and ties to international capital – demands deliberate planning. This is no bureaucracy; it’s a delivery machine for jobs and growth.”
Vice President Shettima, addressing young Nigerians directly, urged them to drive the agenda: “You are not spectators. Development must touch daily lives.”
Enugu governor Peter Mbah in his remark hailed the blueprint as a gateway to Nigeria’s national Vision 2060 agenda, calling for a south-east common market to awaken an “economic giant”.
Governor Mbah praised the Federal Government’s commitment to security and integration.
He thanked Vice President Shettima for embodying “dedicated national leadership”.
Ebonyi Governor Francis Nwifuru pledged state backing to tackle unemployment and unlock agriculture, minerals and rural hubs.
Abia Governor Alex Otti cited his State’s transparent governance and resource wealth as proof that industrialisation is “feasible with commitment”.
On his part, Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo called the SEDC a “long-awaited gift”, marking the first united regional framework.
The UNDP resident representative Elsie Attafuah shared global lessons on long-term planning, stressing infrastructure must serve local production.
The Minister of Regional Development Abubakar Momoh described the event as a “crowning moment” for rail and commodity revamps, while trade Minister Jumoke Oduwole announced a nationwide export tour, positioning the south-east as Nigeria’s industrial springboard.
President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Azuta Mbata and SEDC leaders Emeka Wogu and Mark Okoye voiced strong support, emphasising diaspora-private sector synergy for infrastructure, peace and connectivity.
The forum ended with Vice President Shettima touring cultural exhibitions alongside south-east Governors.
