Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has urged the South East to reposition itself as a unified economic bloc, warning that the region can no longer operate as five parallel states if it hopes to realise its full economic potential.
Mbah made the call on Wednesday in Enugu during the South East Vision 2050 (SEV2050) Regional Stakeholder Forum, officially declared open by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu. The forum was organised by the South East Development Commission (SEDC).
According to the governor, regional development thrives on integration, commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for establishing the SEDC, which he described as a critical catalyst for collective growth in the South East.
“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,” Mbah stated.
He stressed that global prosperity is increasingly driven by regions that can organise themselves, integrate markets, and build systems at scale, warning that fragmented economies risk remaining consumers rather than producers of value.
Mbah described the South East Vision 2050 as a practical framework for solving challenges beyond the capacity of any single state, but insisted that the plan must be backed by immediate and coordinated action.
He outlined priority areas for regional integration, beginning with jointly funded feasibility studies and project preparation across the five states.
“Second, we must begin with logistics and connectivity, because economies do not integrate on paper, they integrate through movement.
“The South East needs its first deliberately designed interstate logistics corridors, road, rail, inland hubs, and multi-modal systems that allow goods, people, and services to move seamlessly across state lines.
“These are not prestige projects. They are productivity infrastructure, and they must be planned and contracted as regional assets, not state trophies.”
On security, the governor called for a unified regional approach, noting that criminal networks do not respect state boundaries.
“We must commit to enhanced cross regional security coordination, shared intelligence, interoperable communication, and a centralised information and response hub that allows state security architectures and federal agencies to act as one system.”
He further advocated alignment of investment rules, regulatory frameworks, and dispute resolution mechanisms to present a coherent regional front to investors and citizens.
Mbah lamented that despite shared identity and history of cooperation, the South East continues to suffer from fragmentation, which he said has become a present-day economic constraint.
“That fragmentation is no longer a historical footnote. It has become a present-day constraint. The world we are operating in now is unforgiving of disconnection and lack of unity. The global economy does not reward isolated effort.
“It rewards regions that can act as systems, regions that can coordinate infrastructure, align skills with industry, move goods efficiently, mobilise capital at scale, and present a clear, credible proposition to investors and their own people.”
According to him, Vision 2050 offers the region a chance to build a shared system that binds its strengths together into a single framework for immediate action.
“In this regard, I must recognise the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under whose watch Nigeria is witnessing a renewed emphasis on structural reform and regional balance.
“The President’s approach provides the policy space and institutional backing for the South East to plan long-term, invest smartly, and integrate effectively into national growth priorities,” Mbah concluded.
In his remarks, Vice President Kashim Shettima described the South East Vision 2050 as a decisive departure from short-term planning models that have failed to deliver sustainable outcomes.
He emphasised that the SEDC was designed as a delivery-focused institution aimed at structural transformation rather than routine bureaucracy.
“Let me be clear. This is not another layer of bureaucracy. It is a delivery institution, focused on tangible outcomes that translate into jobs, productivity, and growth,” Shettima said.
The Vice President also announced that President Tinubu had approved the establishment of the South East Investment Company Limited to mobilise funds from the diaspora, capital markets, and development finance institutions.
According to him, the company will operate in synergy with the South East Development Commission to address post-war infrastructure deficits and drive long-term regional competitiveness.
The forum was attended by Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, and Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, while Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State was represented.
Also present were ministers, captains of industry, representatives of international development agencies, and senior federal and state government officials.
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