SEDC MD Mark Okoye disclosed that the Commission has continued to advance preparatory work on strategic projects aimed at accelerating economic growth and infrastructure development in the region
The South-East Development Commission (SEDC) has advanced preparatory work on proposed gas pipeline and railway projects aimed at accelerating economic growth and infrastructure development across the region, its Managing Director, Mark Okoye, has said.
Okoye disclosed this while briefing the Senate Committee on the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) during an oversight visit to the commission in Enugu on Monday.
He said the commission was working with federal ministries, departments and agencies, state governments, development partners and private sector stakeholders to advance strategic initiatives and promote coordinated regional development.
The managing director also highlighted the South-East Vision 2050 stakeholder consultations as a major milestone in efforts to develop a long-term blueprint for the region.
According to him, the consultations brought together government officials, business leaders, academics, development partners and civil society groups to contribute to a shared development agenda for the South-East.
Okoye further disclosed that 25 startups from the five South-East states had received equity investments under the commission’s South-East Venture Capital Programme.
He said the initiative was designed to promote entrepreneurship and innovation through a competitive selection process.
The Senate committee’s visit was aimed at assessing the commission’s facilities, ongoing preparations and operational readiness as it works towards fulfilling its development mandate.
During the visit, the lawmakers inspected the commission’s temporary headquarters and its newly established headquarters in Enugu to assess the adequacy of the facilities and their readiness to support its operations.
At the temporary headquarters, the committee examined existing office spaces and operational facilities, while the inspection of the new headquarters covered office premises, furnishing and information and communications technology infrastructure.
The committee also visited Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, as part of its engagements in the state.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on the South-East Development Commission, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, expressed satisfaction with the progress recorded at the commission’s new headquarters, commending its management for improvements since the committee’s previous engagements.
Kalu urged the management to sustain the progress ahead of another oversight visit scheduled for December.
He, however, stressed the need for the commission to ensure that its projects and interventions reached communities across the five South-East states rather than being concentrated around its headquarters.
The senator said residents of the region needed to see tangible results from the commission’s activities at the grassroots, noting that the management must demonstrate its commitment to the agency’s mandate despite its relatively recent establishment.
The oversight exercise was part of the committee’s responsibility to monitor the commission’s activities, assess its operational capacity and promote accountability in the use of public resources.
The SEDC was established to drive reconstruction, economic development and regional transformation across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states, with a mandate to address infrastructure gaps and other developmental challenges in the region.
