The SEDC is set to launch 15 agro-mechanisation projects across the five South-East states, beginning with Enugu, as part of a major push to revive agriculture, create jobs and attract investment.
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) is set to launch 15 agro-mechanisation projects across the five South-East states as part of an ambitious drive to revive agriculture, create jobs, attract investment and strengthen food security in the region.
The programme will establish three agro-mechanisation projects in each of the five states — Enugu, Abia, Imo, Anambra and Ebonyi — with implementation beginning in Enugu State.
The Commission disclosed this during a community engagement with leaders and stakeholders in Nomeh, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, where it presented plans for the proposed Nomeh Agro-Mechanisation Project.
The initiative is designed to revive the agricultural and agro-industrial potential of the South-East by introducing mechanised farming, improved agricultural technologies, higher-yielding seeds and modern farming practices, while creating opportunities for farmers, young people and investors.
The Executive Director, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development (NRARD) of the SEDC, Dr Clifford Ogbede, said the programme was inspired partly by the agricultural foundation of the former Eastern Region under the leadership of the late Premier, Dr Michael Okpara.
Ogbede, represented at the engagement by his Technical Adviser, Dr Chris Uwadoka, said the Commission was determined to draw lessons from the region’s agricultural past while building a modern, commercially driven agricultural economy.
He said the programme would create direct and indirect employment and business opportunities, particularly for young people who have increasingly moved away from agriculture because of the heavy labour requirements and limited returns associated with traditional farming.
According to Ogbede, the projects would also attract local and foreign investors and create opportunities for people in the South-East diaspora to participate in the economic rebuilding of the region.
He commended Enugu State Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for what he described as a proactive agricultural development blueprint and disclosed that, in addition to Nomeh, projects would be established at Elugwu Akwu in Oji River Local Government Area, representing Enugu West Senatorial District, and Nkpologwu in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, representing Enugu North.
The locations form part of the Commission’s wider agro-development programme in Enugu. In July, the SEDC said it had identified about 4,000 hectares of land in the state for agro-mechanisation, including approximately 2,000 hectares each in Nkpologwu and Elugwu Akwu-Achi.
The SEDC and Enugu State Government had earlier signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the South East Agro Development Programme, following months of technical planning, stakeholder engagement and field assessments.
The Commission has described agriculture as a major pillar of its strategy for regional economic transformation. In its broader economic blueprint, SEDC Managing Director Mark Okoye has identified agriculture, industrialisation, technology and the creative sector as key areas for expanding the South-East economy and attracting large-scale investment.
Ogbede also rejected suggestions that the agro-mechanisation initiative was designed to facilitate the establishment of grazing areas for cattle herders.
“There is absolutely nothing like that. This is an entirely South East initiative for the benefit of the South East, then the nation,” he said, stressing that such an arrangement was not part of the programme’s blueprint.
The Enugu State Liaison Officer to the SEDC, Chief Edeani Edeani, said the large-scale agricultural projects would help improve the productive use of rural spaces while creating employment opportunities for young people.
He linked the programme to broader efforts to address insecurity by ensuring that rural communities and agricultural spaces were economically active and better integrated into the formal economy.
Speaking on behalf of the Nomeh community, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Mbah on Media, Uche Anichukwu, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for signing the SEDC Establishment Bill into law.
Tinubu assented to the South-East Development Commission Establishment Bill on July 24, 2024, establishing the Commission to drive reconstruction, rehabilitation and development across the five South-East states.
Anichukwu also commended SEDC Managing Director Mark Okoye and his team for making agriculture a central component of the Commission’s regional development strategy.
He expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and Enugu State Government for selecting Nomeh to host the pilot project, describing it as an opportunity to restore the community’s agricultural and commercial relevance.
The traditional ruler of Nomeh Unateze, HRH Igwe Israel Okonkwo Mbah, represented by the traditional prime minister, Chief Daniel Anikpuma, similarly welcomed the project.
Anikpuma recalled Nomeh’s pre-civil-war history as a bustling railway and agricultural community with produce trading companies, saying the proposed mechanised farming project could help restore the area’s economic fortunes.
“It is a sort of bringing back the glory of Nomeh-Unateze, a bustling railway and agricultural town in the past,” he said.
The community’s town union, represented by Engr. Uchenna Anyanwu, pledged its support for the initiative and promised to put the necessary structures in place to facilitate the smooth execution and security of the project.
Another community leader, Mrs Veronica Onwude, said the project had increased optimism among residents, particularly women and young people who are expected to benefit from new employment and economic opportunities.
The SEDC has previously outlined plans for a much larger agricultural programme across the region, including the development of large demonstration farms and mechanised farming systems. The Commission’s agriculture strategy is intended to activate underutilised agricultural assets, attract private investment and build commercially viable value chains.
With 15 agro-mechanisation projects planned across the South-East, the initiative represents one of the SEDC’s most significant attempts to place agriculture at the centre of the region’s economic revival and reconnect farming with industrial development, employment and investment.
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