The Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, has charged the South East Development Commission (SEDC) to collaborate with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in the execution of regional projects that will benefit the South East and the South South states.

The Minister gave the charge yesterday, Wednesday, February 4, 2026, during the South East Vision 2050 Stakeholders’ Forum at the International Conference Centre, Enugu. The NDDC Board Chairman, Mr Chiedu Ebie, the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku and the Bayelsa State Representative on the Board, Senator Dimaro Denyanbofa joined other stakeholders at the event.

The Minister said the creation of SEDC by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reflected an institutional commitment to the coordinated, targeted transformation of the region through the revitalisation of critical infrastructure, including the rail sector and the agricultural value chain.

Momoh said the event was a crowning moment in the development of the South East region, especially in fostering a united and prosperous future.

Declaring the Vision 2050 Stakeholders’ Forum open, Vice President Shettima said that the 25-year development blueprint for the South-East region was a central pillar of Nigeria’s economic future.

He announced that President Tinubu had approved the establishment of the South East Investment Company Limited, designed to mobilise resources from the diaspora, capital markets, and development finance institutions for the region’s development.

The Vice President said the gathering was a decisive break from short-term governance cycles toward a structured, multi-decade development framework.

“This forum reflects foresight, responsibility, and a shared understanding that the future is not something we wait for, but something we must deliberately design.

“In recognition of the distinctive character of the South-East, its entrepreneurial spirit, its global diaspora, and its long-standing relationship with international capital, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the establishment of the South East Investment Company Limited.”

Speaking earlier, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State joined his colleagues in the region in endorsing the vision 2050, explaining that the vision is an opportunity for the South East region to tap into the national agenda tagged vision 2060.

He applauded the unity of purpose among leaders and stakeholders in the region and proposed the birthing of a South East common market, describing the moment as the awakening of an economic giant.

He urged a paradigm shift in the planning and execution of projects across the region while calling on the people of the area to complement the renewed drive by the Federal Government to improve the security of lives and livelihoods as well as integrate all parts of the region’s plan for inclusive development.

In his welcome speech, SEDC Chairman, Sir Emeka Wogu, thanked President Tinubu for his commitment to the progress and development of the South East region and its people.

Speaking in the same vein, the Managing Director of the SEDC, Mr Mark Okoye, thanked President Tinubu for creating the commission as a special-purpose vehicle to champion the region's economic transformation.

He said the SEDC will seek the partnership of state governments, the diaspora community, and the organised private sector in implementing the 2050 vision, aimed at charting a shared path to sustainable prosperity for South East Nigeria, focusing on infrastructure, power, peacebuilding, and connectivity, among others.

In a goodwill message, the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Sen. Azuta Mbata, commended the Federal Government for prioritising regional integration and development through the summit.

He said the integration of the South East in the broader national development agenda is key, and pledged the support of the people of the region for the aspirations of the Vision 2050 and the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of President Tinubu.

•PHOTO: First right is NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, followed by the NDDC Board Chairman, Mr Chiedu Ebie (2nd right) and The Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh (4th right), in a group photograph with Vice President Kashim Shettima and South East governors during the South East Vision 2050 Stakeholders' Forum at the International Conference Centre, Enugu . . . Wednesday.