A move to boost the economy of the South-East region has begun with the launch of a 25-year development blueprint for the region by Vice President, Kashim Shettima.

Shettima stated that the region mattered much to President Bola Tinubu, as one of the central pillars of the country’s economic future, hence the need to stimulate its development with the establishment of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC).

Speaking in Enugu during the South-East Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholders’ Forum at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu, Shettima also announced the approval 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 by Tinubu.

At the forum, which was attended by Governors Peter Mbah (Enugu), Alex Otti (Abia ), Charles Soludo (Anambra), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), and Hope Uzodimma (Imo), represented by the Speaker, Imo House of Assembly, Chike Olemgbe, the Vice President stated that 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, the President approved the establishment of the South East Investment Company Limited,” VP Shettima said.

SPEAKING during the event, Mbah said the South-East must be reimagined and built into a common market and economic bloc to realise its potential as an economic powerhouse.

Mbah emphasised that the region could no longer afford to operate as five parallel states, commending President Bola Tinubu for the establishment of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), a clear demonstration of an understanding that regional development does not occur in isolation.

“I am here to invite you to a bold re-imagining of the South-East as a single economic bloc. For too long, we have looked at our five states as individual islands, but the era of the solitary path is over.

“Today, I propose the birth of the South-East Common Market, a bold, borderless unification of our commerce, our talent, and our industrial grit.

“By fusing our five distinct economies into one powerhouse, we are no longer just negotiating for a seat at the table; we are building the table ourselves.

“This is more than a policy shift; it is the awakening of an economic giant, transforming the South-East into a single, seamless theatre of enterprise where our shared heritage fuels our collective prosperity,” he stated.

At the event themed, “Charting a Shared Path to Sustainable Prosperity for South East Nigeria,” Mbah reminded the audience that the rules of prosperity are changing globally into a new era where those who can organise themselves, integrate their markets, and build systems at scale would rise, while those who cannot would remain consumers of other people’s added value.

He, therefore, described the South-East Vision 2050 as an instrument to help the region solve problems that no single state can solve alone.