Enugu State and the South East Development Commission (SEDC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Thursday, June 26, 2026, launching the South East Agro Development Programme — a joint initiative designed to transform agriculture into the engine of economic growth, industrialisation, and food security across Nigeria's South-East geopolitical zone.
The signing ceremony took place at Government House, Enugu. Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, represented Governor Peter Mbah and set out the scale of the state’s ambitions clearly.
He said the administration’s target of growing Enugu’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion would be driven in large part by strategic investments in agriculture, value addition, and agro-processing — sectors the state government sees as its fastest path to industrial transformation.
Furthermore, Onyia disclosed that over 52,000 hectares of land had already been earmarked across designated farm estates for agricultural development, with government support guaranteed for prospective investors while the interests of host communities are protected.
SEDC Calls It a Landmark for the Entire Region
Representing SEDC Managing Director, the Commission’s Executive Director of Projects, Mr. Toby Okechukwu, described the agreement as far more than a bilateral arrangement between one state and a federal commission.
He said the partnership would attract critical investments into agriculture, strengthen food security, and accelerate sustainable agro-industrial development across all five South-East states — Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia, and Ebonyi.
Okechukwu also praised Enugu specifically for improvements in security and the creation of a regulatory environment that has been building investor confidence.
The SEDC, established under the South East Development Commission Act, was created to fast-track reconstruction, rehabilitation, and development across the South-East — a mandate that now explicitly includes agro-industrial investment.
Jobs, Farmland, and a Regional Hub in the Making
Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Dr. Patrick Uburu, said the MoU would directly fast-track the development of the 52,000 hectares across farm estates, boosting both food production and agro-industrial output in the near term.
Enugu State Liaison Officer to the SEDC, Mr. Edeani M. Edeani, framed the significance of the deal in regional terms.
He said the partnership would create employment opportunities for youths, promote inclusive economic growth, and position Enugu as the leading agro-industrial hub in the South-East — a status the state government has been actively pursuing through security investment and regulatory changes over the past two years.
For farmers, investors, and communities across the region, the June 26 MoU represents the most concrete step yet toward turning the South-East’s substantial agricultural land into a functioning economic engine.
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