Governors of the five South East states have agreed on the need for regional cooperation in intelligence sharing, infrastructure development, and the formulation of a harmonised integration plan to accelerate the zone’s 50-year development vision.

The agreement was highlighted during the South East Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholders Forum organised by the South East Development Commission, SEDC, in Enugu yesterday.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who attended the forum, praised the region’s leadership, noting that high-quality governance had already facilitated significant development.

He described Igbo people as “the hope of the black race”, emphasising that the South East was vital to Nigeria.

Shettima also acknowledged decades of infrastructure deficits in the region, stating that the SEDC was established to address these imbalances.

South East governors highlighted key areas for regional integration.

Abia State governor, Alex Otti, emphasised power integration, noting that with Aba’s geometric power capacity, the entire South East could be connected to a single power grid.

“If we had started the debate earlier, we would have succeeded by now,” he said.

Anambra State governor, Chukwuma Soludo, called on the SEDC to prioritise projects critical to the region, including highway connectivity, regional railway, seaport, security, institutional frameworks and other essential services.

Similarly, Ebonyi State governor, Francis Nwifuru, said his state had the capacity to feed the region, while his Enugu State counterpart, Peter Mbah, said sustainable regional development required national support.

“We must build a different system, start by thinking differently. We must move from vision to execution, and the direction must be clearly set,” Mbah said.

The forum underscored a collective commitment by the South East governors to foster coordinated development and maximise the region’s socio-economic potential. (Vanguard)

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