The South East Development Commission, SEDC, has announced plans to revive the region’s agricultural and industrial potential through large-scale agro-mechanisation projects across the five South-East states.
The Commission said it would establish three agro-mechanisation projects in each of the five states, covering the three senatorial zones of Enugu, Abia, Imo, Anambra and Ebonyi states.
The initiative commenced with the proposed Nomeh Agro-Mechanisation Project in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, where the Commission held a community engagement with traditional rulers, leaders and other stakeholders.
Speaking during the engagement, the Executive Director of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development at the SEDC, Dr. Clifford Ogbede, said the initiative was designed to restore the region’s agricultural economy, create jobs and make farming more attractive to young people.
Ogbede, who was represented by his Technical Adviser, Dr. Chris Uwadoka, said the projects would introduce modern agricultural practices, improved seedlings and technical expertise, while supporting local farmers and attracting agricultural enterprises.
He said the initiative would create direct and indirect employment and business opportunities for youths, adding that the Commission also expected the projects to attract local and foreign investors, including members of the Igbo diaspora.
Ogbede recalled that agriculture played a major role in the economic growth of the former Eastern Region between 1954 and 1964, saying the SEDC was seeking to draw lessons from that period to develop a modern agricultural economy in the South-East.
He explained that the Nomeh project was nominated by the Enugu State Government, with two additional projects planned for Elugwu Akwu in Oji River Local Government Area and Nkpologwu in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area.
According to him, the projects will provide farmers with access to modern agricultural knowledge, improved seeds, mechanised farming techniques and other forms of technical support.
He also dismissed reports suggesting that the agro-mechanisation programme was intended to create grazing areas for cattle herders, describing such claims as false and unrelated to the Commission’s plans.
The Enugu State Liaison Officer to the SEDC, Chief Edeani Edeani, said the Federal Government and the Enugu State Government were looking to agriculture as a tool for tackling unemployment and insecurity.
He said the large-scale mechanisation programme would help create productive opportunities for young people while ensuring that agricultural spaces were effectively utilised.
A community leader and Senior Special Assistant to Governor Peter Mbah on Media, Uche Anichukwu, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the legislation establishing the SEDC in July 2024.
Anichukwu said the Commission would provide a platform for coordinated regional development and praised its leadership for making agriculture a key component of the South-East’s economic revival strategy.
The traditional ruler of Nomeh Unateze, HRH Igwe Israel Okonkwo Mbah, represented by the traditional prime minister, Chief Daniel Anikpuma, welcomed the project, describing it as an opportunity to revive the community’s agricultural and commercial heritage.
He recalled that Nomeh had previously been a major railway and agricultural trading centre before the Civil War disrupted economic activities in the area.
The community’s town union also pledged its support for the project, assuring the SEDC and Enugu State Government of cooperation and adequate security for its implementation.
Women and other community stakeholders similarly expressed optimism that the initiative would create employment, improve livelihoods and stimulate economic activity in Nomeh and surrounding communities.
The SEDC said the Nomeh project represents part of its broader strategy to reposition agriculture as a major driver of economic growth, employment and sustainable development across the South-East.
