NEWS
SEDC Agro Revolution: Abia Set to Benefit as Commission Moves to Restore South-East’s Agricultural Glory
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) is set to launch a major agro-industrial transformation across the region, with Abia State positioned to benefit from a programme designed to revive the agricultural foundation that once powered the economic prosperity of the old Eastern Region.
The Commission said its new agro-mechanisation initiative is aimed at recreating the conditions that helped make the defunct Eastern Region one of the fastest-growing economies in the world between 1954 and 1964, when agriculture served as a major driver of production, trade, employment and regional development.
Under the initiative, the SEDC plans to establish agro-mechanisation projects across the three senatorial zones of the five South-East states — Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, in partnership with the respective state governments.
Although the programme is commencing in Enugu State, the Commission’s broader plan places Abia among the states expected to benefit from the regional agricultural transformation, with the projects expected to strengthen farming, stimulate agro-processing, attract investment and create employment opportunities for young people.
The announcement was made during a community engagement at Nomeh in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, where SEDC officials met with community leaders and stakeholders over the proposed Nomeh Agro-mechanisation Project.
The Commission’s Executive Director, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development (NRARD), Dr. Clifford Ogbede, explained that the intervention was conceived as part of a wider blueprint to restore the South-East’s economic strength through agriculture.
Ogbede, who was represented by a Technical Adviser to the Commission, Dr. Chris Uwadoka, said the programme would introduce modern agricultural practices while opening up opportunities for farmers, agro-entrepreneurs, investors and young people.
He also stressed that the initiative would not be limited to farming alone, as the development of agricultural value chains could generate businesses around processing, storage, logistics, marketing and other related activities.
“We could all recall that the Eastern Region economy was at a point rated as the fastest-growing economy in the world. That means that we were ahead of many leading economies of today in terms of growth. And at the root of it was agriculture, thanks to the visionary leadership of the former Premier of the region, Dr. Michael Okpara.
“So, after thorough brainstorming sessions, the SEDC came up with a blueprint to restore the region’s lost glory, starting with agriculture,” he said.
For Abia, the initiative could provide another major opportunity to deepen the state’s agricultural and agro-industrial potential, particularly by connecting farmers to modern equipment, improved inputs, technical expertise and markets.
The state has long maintained a strong agricultural base, with farming and agro-processing forming important parts of economic activity across its rural communities. A coordinated mechanisation programme could therefore help reduce the heavy dependence on manual labour while improving productivity and making commercial agriculture more attractive to younger generations.
The SEDC’s approach is also expected to complement efforts by South-East states to develop agricultural value chains capable of supporting industries and reducing dependence on imported products.
Speaking on the Enugu component of the programme, Ogbede commended Governor Peter Mbah for what he described as a robust and elaborate agricultural blueprint, noting that the agro-mechanisation project would also be established at Elugwu Akwu in Oji River Local Government Area, Enugu West Senatorial District, and Nkpologwu in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area, Enugu North Senatorial District.
“Governor Mbah nominated Nomeh for the programme. It is a good thing for this community because SEDC is going to bring the best possible agricultural knowledge into the territory, bring specialists, agro-entrepreneurs, improved seeds with greater yields, and support the local farmers.
“So, it is a good thing that has come to the Nomeh community. It’s something to be cheered, cheerful about.
“Also, there’s something happening amongst youth, especially in the South East. They are averse to agriculture. They are walking away from agriculture that their parents depended on because it is back-breaking.
“The labour is much, but the yield is little and you hardly have enterprises, companies that are running on the back of agricultural produce.
“Therefore, this project is going to attract agricultural enterprises that will give employment to the youth, and give them knowledge. They will see how it is done. They will earn a living for themselves,” he added.
The emphasis on youth employment is particularly significant for Abia and other South-East states, where the movement of young people away from rural farming communities has increasingly raised concerns about the future of agricultural production.
By combining mechanised farming with commercial agricultural enterprises, the SEDC hopes to create a system in which young people can participate not only as farmers but also as technicians, processors, entrepreneurs, marketers and service providers.
The Commission also moved to dispel concerns that the agricultural initiative could be connected to plans to take over community lands for cattle grazing.
“There is absolutely nothing like that. This is an entirely South East initiative for the benefit of the South East, then the nation. It is very untrue and not part of the blueprint,” he concluded.
The Enugu State Liaison Officer to the Commission, Chief Edeani Edeani, said the Federal Government and Governor Mbah were also looking at agriculture as a means of addressing insecurity by creating productive opportunities for communities and young people.
“With such massive agromechanisation projects across the South East, our spaces will be more effectively and gainfully occupied and governed.
“Also, the youths will be gainfully employed,” he stated.
The intervention comes at a time when the South-East is seeking new strategies for regional economic integration, job creation and industrial expansion.
For Abia, the prospect of stronger links between agriculture and manufacturing could be particularly important, given the state’s long-standing reputation for entrepreneurship and commercial activity.
Speaking at the community engagement, Uche Anichukwu, a community leader and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for establishing the SEDC after previous attempts to create the commission had failed.
“I worked at the national parliament for several years, and I am very much aware of the many attempts to set up a commission without success. It was either the bill did not scale through the parliament or it was denied presidential assent.
“But on 24th July 2024, President Tinubu graciously signed into law the legal framework creating the SEDC to rebuild infrastructure and serve as a platform for a coordinated regional development,” he said.
Anichukwu also praised the SEDC Managing Director, Mark Okoye, and his team for making agriculture a central pillar of the Commission’s regional development strategy.
He noted that the leadership had brought “a totally fresh approach to running regional development commissions.”
“As a community, we are most grateful to the President and Governor Peter Mbah for choosing Nomeh to host the pilot project. We do not take it for granted.”
The traditional ruler of Nomeh Unateze, HRH Igwe Israel Okonkwo Mbah, represented by the traditional prime minister, Chief Daniel Anikpuma, said the project could restore the community’s economic importance and reconnect it with its agricultural past.
“It is a sort of bringing back the glory of Nwomeh-Unateze, a bustling railway and agricultural town in the past. Before the war, we had UAC, Leventis, and several other produce trading companies here. The war broke out, and everything stopped.
“Today, the SEDC and the Enugu State Government have remembered Nomeh Unateze and come with mechanised farming to reactivate our community.
“We believe it is going to bring massive development and we embrace it with a grateful heart,” he stated.
The town union government, speaking through Engr. Uchenna Anyanwu, also pledged its support for the project and assured the SEDC that the community would put the necessary machinery in place to facilitate smooth implementation and ensure the security of the project.
For Abia and the wider South-East, the significance of the SEDC initiative goes beyond the provision of tractors and modern farming equipment. If effectively implemented across the region, the programme could help create a stronger agricultural value chai from production to processing and expor while providing young people with sustainable economic opportunities.
The Commission’s vision is ultimately to reconnect the South-East with an era when agriculture was not merely subsistence farming but the foundation for regional industrialisation, employment and prosperity.
With Abia among the five states targeted by the SEDC’s regional agro-mechanisation strategy, stakeholders will be watching closely to see how the initiative translates into concrete projects, improved farm productivity, investment opportunities and jobs across the state.