By Oluwakemi Kindness
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) and the Enugu State Government have launched a regional agriculture initiative aimed at creating jobs, attracting private investment and strengthening food security across the South East.
The partnership, formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marks the commencement of the South East Agro Development Programme, a flagship initiative designed to unlock agricultural productivity, activate underutilised farmland and drive inclusive economic growth across the region.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Commission’s Executive Director for Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Cliff Ogbede, the programme is expected to expand opportunities for young people in agricultural production, processing, logistics, aggregation and other agribusiness services while strengthening value chains and boosting regional productivity.
Representing the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SEDC, Mark Okoye, the Commission’s Executive Director of Projects, Toby Okechukwu, describes the partnership as a significant step towards translating regional development plans into tangible outcomes.
“The true measure of our success will not be today’s signatures or announcements. It will be the land prepared, the investments attracted, the jobs created, the communities empowered and the impact felt by ordinary people,” Okechukwu said.
Enugu State Secretary to the Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the initiative aligns with Governor Peter Mbah’s vision of transforming agriculture into a commercially viable sector capable of generating employment, attracting investment and driving sustainable economic growth.
He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to providing the policy, institutional and regulatory support needed for successful implementation while ensuring host communities benefit from the programme.
SEDC said the initiative seeks to create an enabling environment for commercial agriculture through land activation, stronger agricultural value chains, environmental sustainability, host community integration and increased private sector participation.
The Commission noted that the programme follows nearly nine months of technical planning, stakeholder consultations, field mapping and land suitability assessments conducted jointly with the Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture to ensure investment readiness and technical feasibility.
Development partners, financial institutions, research bodies, universities, colleges of agriculture, host communities and private investors are expected to play critical roles in the implementation process, with institutions such as the Bank of Industry set to provide financing pathways for qualified investors and project developers.
SEDC also disclosed that Enugu is the first state to formally join the initiative, with Abia State expected to sign a similar agreement next, while technical mapping is already underway in Ebonyi State as the programme expands across the five South East states.
Established under the South East Development Commission Act, 2024, the Commission described the South East Agro Development Programme as one of its flagship interventions for driving regional economic transformation through agriculture, strategic partnerships and private sector investment.
