Beyond Rhetoric: SEDC Takes Giant Stride to Restore South East Agro-Economy

By Emmanuel Nzomiwu

As the legendary Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu famously said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the South East Development Commission (SEDC) took a giant stride towards restoring Eastern Nigeria’s agro-economy with the flag-off of a 200-hectare pilot integrated model farm at Nomeh Unateze in Nkanu East Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu State. The project is part of the commission’s South East Agro-Development Programme (SEADP).

The SEADP is a major component of the commission’s 25-year roadmap to transform the South East region through investment, public-private sector partnerships and innovative financing. The SEDC agro-development programme, the first regional, multi-state, commission-led integrated agro-development programme of this scale in Eastern Nigeria since the end of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970, aims to boost agricultural productivity, strengthen food security and stimulate agro-industrialisation.

The flag-off of the integrated model farm at Nomeh Unateze marks the rollout of the programme across the South East. Two things make this event particularly remarkable for the predominantly Igbo Eastern Nigeria.

First, since the Civil War ended in 1970, the eastern part of the country has been unable to maximise its vast agricultural potential, which the administration of Dr Michael Okpara harnessed in the early 1960s to accelerate economic growth in the former Eastern Region. Under the premiership of Dr M. I. Okpara, the Eastern Region, comprising the present-day South East and South South states, ranked among the fastest-growing economies in the world until the setback of the Civil War.

Second, the post-war South East has been dependent on other regions for its food and livestock needs. Even the few surviving livestock farmers in South-East Nigeria rely on other regions for animal feed. Hence, the target of the SEDC is to replicate what Okpara did in the 1960s by rebuilding the capacity of the South East region in agriculture and agro-industries and, by so doing, restoring the region’s lost agro-economy.

In this regard, the commission returned to the archives to retrieve Okpara’s economic blueprint, refined it and invited experts to update the document before projecting into the future. Looking at the trajectory of the region, the flag-off of the integrated model farm at Nomeh Unateze by the SEDC represents a milestone in the journey towards restoring the agro-economy of the South East.

Ahead of the flag-off, the SEDC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Enugu State Government. A team from the commission, led by the Executive Director of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development (NRARD), Dr Cliff Ogbede, later conducted stakeholder engagements at the community level and site inspections to secure community support and ensure that the chosen locations were suitable for the mechanised agricultural programme.

In an address at the flag-off ceremony, the SEDC Managing Director (MD), Mark Okoye, listed the objectives of the programme, which, according to him, include making the South East self-sufficient in food production, creating productive jobs and building agricultural value chains. The programme, he said, was designed to transform agriculture in the region from a predominantly small-scale subsistence activity into a modern, commercially viable enterprise.

The MD explained that the commission was building much more than a farm in Nomeh. Beginning with approximately 200 hectares of land, the site is designed as an integrated agricultural development facility, bringing together dairy, poultry, fisheries and feed production, greenhouses, processing, mechanisation and practical agricultural training.

He said: “The idea is simple. Production should connect to processing. Training should connect to employment and enterprise. Farmers should connect to markets. Training should connect to employment and enterprise.”

Okoye expressed optimism that the investment within the 200 hectares would create opportunities well beyond the site, while farmers in the surrounding communities, through the out-grower programme, would have opportunities to participate in the value chain, receive technical support and connect their production to markets.

Describing the pilot site in Enugu State as the starting point, Okoye restated the SEDC’s ambition to establish agricultural interventions across the South East, working with the five state governments, communities, farmers, development institutions and the private sector.

According to him, Nomeh presents an opportunity to demonstrate the model, learn from it, improve it and replicate what works. He declared that the South East must become a much more significant contributor to Nigeria’s food security, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made a national priority, with the Federal Government’s agricultural agenda emphasising mechanisation, irrigation, processing, stronger agricultural value chains and improved productivity for smallholder farmers.

“For us at SEDC, this is where our regional mandate meets that national objective,” the MD said.

He concluded his address by reminding the host community that the project could not succeed without its support, assuring residents that the commission’s engagement with them would continue beyond the flag-off ceremony.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of NRARD, Dr Cliff Ogbede, reiterated the SEDC’s commitment to reviving the agro-industrial revolution that positioned the defunct Eastern Region as one of the fastest-growing economies between 1954 and 1966, courtesy of the visionary leadership of the late Dr Michael Okpara.

In his remarks, the Honourable Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, described the project as a critical stride towards strengthening food security in Nigeria. The minister noted that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s eight-point Renewed Hope Agenda.

While commending the SEDC for translating its vision into tangible implementation on the ground, he urged the host community to take full ownership of the project to guarantee its long-term protection, operation and success.

While officially flagging off the pilot integrated model farm, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, described the project as a testament to what could be achieved through strategic collaboration between the South East states and the commission, especially at a time when food production and economic diversification have become increasingly important.

The agro-development programme, according to Mbah, aligns perfectly with the state government’s decision to build 200-hectare modern farm estates in the 260 wards of the state. He said the initiative complements other government projects and the administration’s commitment to eradicating poverty in the state by 2031.

Speaking on behalf of the host community, the President-General of Nomeh Unateze, Dr Chukwudi Anyianuka, described the project as a restoration of the community’s glory. Anyianuka assured the commission of the community’s total support for and ownership of the project.

The Chairman of the SEDC, Dr Emeka Wogu, and the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, were also among the dignitaries at the historic event.

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) are supporting the SEDC agro-mechanisation programme. Several commercial and microfinance banks have equally expressed their willingness to support the initiative.

In conclusion, Enugu has taken the lead in the South East’s agricultural rebirth driven by the SEDC. All eyes are now on the other South East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Imo to see where the progressive ship of the SEDC will berth next.

Nzomiwu, a public affairs analyst, writes from Enugu.