Chukwu Obinna 
ENUGU, Nigeria – The South-East Development Commission unveils a long-term master plan aimed at transforming infrastructure and economic development across the region, with timelines extending up to 50 years.
Speaking in Enugu, Managing Director Mark Okoye says the commission is harmonising individual development plans from Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states into a unified Southeast Vision 2050 framework.
Anambra adopts the longest planning horizon of 50 years, while Ebonyi focuses on a 10-year development window. Abia projects to 2050, Enugu to 2045 and Imo to 2040.
“Once harmonised, the document becomes Vision 2050. We are not sidelining state plans because the states are critical stakeholders,” Okoye says.
The commission works closely with South-East governors to address longstanding infrastructure deficits, including transport, energy and industrial development.
A two-day stakeholders’ forum begins in Enugu, bringing together government officials, private investors and civil society groups under the theme “Charting a Shared Path to Sustainable Prosperity for the South-East.”
Discussions centre on agriculture, railway expansion, gas pipelines, seaport development and dredging of the River Niger.
Okoye stresses that state governments remain central to implementation, noting their proximity to grassroots needs and decades of planning experience.
The commission expects to release a draft Vision 2050 document within six weeks, after which it will be opened for public consultation and online feedback before final approval.
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Otamere Gladness 
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