The Managing Director of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), Mark Okoye, says the region is set to launch a ₦500 billion infrastructure pipeline aimed at transforming Ala Igbo through investments in industry, agriculture, housing, and power.
Speaking at the National Convention of the Anambra State Association USA (ASA-USA) in Tampa, Florida, over the weekend, the SEDC boss described the plan as “the most ambitious regional development framework in decades” — a move from fragmented projects to coordinated, sustainable growth.
He revealed that the SEDC, working with the newly established South East Investment Company (SEIC), has completed designs for several transformative projects that will attract private capital and create jobs across the region.
“We now have the legal mandate, the financial instruments, and the political will to rebuild Ala Igbo sustainably. This is not politics — it is structure,” he said. “For the first time since 1970, the Federal Government has created a dedicated institution for our region, and we must seize this moment to translate vision into measurable impact.”
Building the Future, Not Just Roads
According to him, the infrastructure plan will connect industrial estates, agro-processing zones, transport networks, and power grids into a single production ecosystem to drive regional productivity.
Over 3,500 experts and volunteers reportedly participated in designing the economic roadmap, reflecting inputs from state governments, private sector leaders, and the diaspora.
Complementary programmes such as the Michael Okpara Fellowship, South East Venture Capital Fund, and Youth Skills Accelerator are also being introduced to train young entrepreneurs and strengthen local governance capacity.
“No single state can execute projects of this magnitude alone,” he said, stressing that the SEDC–SEIC partnership would mobilise diaspora bonds, private investments, and development finance to deliver lasting growth.
A Call for Diaspora Ownership
The managing director thanked President Bola Tinubu for signing the SEDC Bill into law and approving the SEIC, describing it as “a clear demonstration of faith in the South East’s potential.”
He called on the diaspora to play a leading role in funding and mentoring future innovators. “The South East will rise again — not through agitation, but through imagination. Not by shouting at Nigeria, but by building within it,” he said to a standing ovation.
He ended with a solemn challenge: “If our children are to inherit a South East defined by power, dignity, and pride, history must record that the foundation was laid by us, here and now.”
Can this vision unlock the long-promised renaissance of Ala Igbo?
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