By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the South East Development Commission (SEDC) is set to roll out ambitious "Vision 2050" Regional Plan for the South-East.

News Express reports that SEDC is one of the regional development bodies brought on board by the President Bola Tinubu administration.

On Monday, the SEDC commenced the initiative with the South East Vision 2050 Stakeholders Forum in Enugu.

The initiative aims to gather vital input from various stakeholders across the region to craft a comprehensive, sustainable development master plan that will guide the economic and infrastructural transformation of South-East Nigeria over the coming decades.

According to SEDC's Managing Director and CEO, Hon. Mike Okoye, the forum signifies a strategic move towards institutionalizing regional development efforts.

He highlighted that since its inception, the commission has been laying a solid foundation by engaging with over 250 federal agencies and collaborating with legislative bodies to align political and budgetary support for regional projects.

Okoye emphasized that the agency was established to address longstanding challenges rooted in post-Civil War ecological and infrastructural issues.

He also reiterated the commitment to gender inclusion, aiming for at least 30-40% female participation in future engagements, with current efforts already supporting a significant 50% of the economy driven by women.

The forum, which started today, will include a diverse group of media practitioners to ensure broad communication and awareness of the commission’s strategic roadmap.

The SEDC team, which began building the institution from scratch less than two years ago, is now transitioning from foundational activities to implementing visible regional projects, such as road reconstruction and ecological rehabilitation.

As the region moves toward the 2050 target, Okoye expressed confidence that the collaborative efforts and strategic planning initiated will catalyze sustainable growth and development across the Southeast, ultimately transforming the regional landscape into a thriving economic hub.

"When we started, the agency did not exist in practice, there was no office, no staff, and no infrastructure," Okoye remarked.

He described the current team as the “pioneer staff who had to build the institution's foundation from scratch while simultaneously planning for the region’s future."