The South East Development Commission (SEDC) has said that the people of the South East should not expect a quick fix for the decades of infrastructural failure in the region.

Mark Okoye, the Managing Director of SEDC, in response to massive public enquiries on the X platform, solicited patience and commitment from the people regarding the quest for urgent responses to infrastructural and other expected developments.

He disclosed that the Commission is currently building a solid foundation, financially and administratively, that will accelerate the provision of the needed infrastructure and human capital development in the South East region.

He Informed the public that SEDC was not created to replicate state or local government functions, but was established to drive long-term regional planning, coordinate region-wide infrastructure, and mobilise capital at scale, as clearly stated in the Establishment Act.

He explained: “Regional development is, by definition, long-term, evidence-driven, and capital-intensive. It does not lend itself to quick wins or ad hoc interventions. Despite a challenging fiscal environment affecting the entire system, in the 10 months since our inauguration, we have deliberately focused on foundations. In that period, we have built a credible institution from scratch, with clear roadmaps, governance structures, and transparent internal processes.”

“We have achieved alignment with all five South East state governments on a shared regional development approach, now being broadened through the South East Vision 2050 process. We have developed bankable, region-wide project concepts in rail, power, gas, industrial parks, agro-estates and economic corridors.

“We have also secured presidential approval for the South East Investment Company that will serve as our capital mobilisation and project preparation vehicle. That is being set up. We have also engaged federal MDAs, DFIs, academia, the private sector, civil society and the diaspora. This approach is intentional, because serious development is built through sequencing, trade-offs and discipline, not speed or optics.”

Okoye noted that there is also a deeper issue that must be confronted honestly, which is that, “as a people, we often approach development with a short-term mindset: quick turnover, immediate returns, visible gains. That mindset does not build regions. It does not deliver rail systems, power infrastructure, industrial corridors or competitive cities.”

“History is highly instructive. In Lagos, under President Tinubu as governor, long-term masterplans for Lekki, the Free Trade Zone, Deep Sea Port, Eko Atlantic and light rail were announced, but no cement blocks were laid for years. What came first was planning, land assembly, stakeholder alignment and capital structuring. Two decades later, the infrastructure stands. That is how serious development works.”

The SEDC Managing Director, however, reassured the people that he is competent enough to drive the infrastructural and human capital development of the region, as assigned to him by the President.

“My public service record is not theoretical. From my mid-twenties, I have worked with three governors and four administrations purely on merit, directly involved in institution building, investment promotion, major masterplans, fiscal reforms, donor mobilisation and transparency outcomes. These records are public and verifiable.

“Critique is healthy and welcome. But development cannot be reduced to insults, impatience, or the false idea that meetings equal failure,” he said.

He challenged all interested individuals and stakeholders to register for and participate in the South East Vision 2050 Forum coming up in a few days. “Over 1,000 stakeholders have applied to participate in the South East Vision 2050 Forum within a few hours of the announcement.” (Saturday Sun)

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