ENUGU — Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has officially flagged off the South East Agro-Development Programme (SEADP), a 200-hectare pilot integrated model farm established by the South East Development Commission (SEDC) at Nomeh Unateze in Nkanu East Local Government Area of the state.
The project marks a major step in the commission’s transition from planning to physical implementation of its development agenda across the South East.
The flag-off ceremony was attended by the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh; Chairman of SEDC, Dr. Emeka Wogu; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Mr. Mark Okoye; Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia; traditional and community leaders, as well as other stakeholders and residents of the host community.
Representing Governor Mbah at the event, Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai described the agro-development programme as a practical demonstration of what collaboration between state governments and the SEDC could achieve.
He said the project was particularly important at a time when food production, employment creation and economic diversification had become critical to the development of the region.
According to him, the initiative aligns with the Enugu State Government’s plan to establish 200-hectare modern farm estates across the 260 wards of the state, as part of its broader strategy to tackle poverty and stimulate economic growth.
Ossai said investments in education, roads, security, healthcare and transportation were designed to create the infrastructure and environment required for investors and development partners to unlock opportunities in agriculture and other sectors.
He added that global experience had shown that sustained investment in agriculture could help communities transition more rapidly from poverty to a middle-class economy.
He urged the people of Nomeh Unateze to take ownership of the project and ensure its sustainability.
SEDC: Project to Transform Agriculture in South East
The Managing Director and CEO of SEDC, Mark Okoye, said the South East Agro-Development Programme was conceived not simply as a farm but as a comprehensive development model aimed at transforming the way agriculture is practised in the region.
He explained that the project would bring together land, technology, mechanisation, production, processing, training and market access within an integrated agricultural ecosystem.
Okoye said the success of the project would not be measured solely by activities taking place on the 200-hectare site, but by the economic opportunities and agricultural activities it generates beyond the farm.
He cited potential benefits including training young people in practical agricultural skills, supporting farmers supplying crops such as maize and soya to feed mills, providing technical assistance and market access to dairy farmers, and helping smallholder farmers increase their productivity.
According to him, the Nomeh Unateze project is intended to serve as a practical template for future agricultural and agro-mechanisation interventions by the SEDC across the five states of the South East.
He also commended Governor Mbah and the Nomeh Unateze community for their support for the initiative.
Federal Government Backs Integrated Agricultural Development
The Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, said the Federal Government viewed the initiative as going beyond food production.
He said the objective was to develop an agricultural system capable of producing food, processing agricultural commodities, creating markets, reducing post-harvest losses and increasing farmers’ incomes.
Momoh also stressed the importance of creating opportunities for young Nigerians to participate meaningfully in modern agriculture.
He said agricultural development must involve the entire value chain rather than focusing solely on primary production.
SEDC Promises Partnership With States and Communities
The Chairman of SEDC, Dr. Emeka Wogu, said the commission would continue to work closely with state governments, communities, private-sector investors and development partners.
Wogu said regional development required strong partnerships and that the commission could not effectively achieve its objectives in isolation.
He explained that SEDC’s responsibility was to create platforms capable of connecting stakeholders with opportunities that would generate sustainable economic value for people across the South East.
Community Pledges Support
The President General of Nomeh Unateze, Dr. Chukwudi Anyianuka, welcomed the project, describing it as an investment in the future of the community.
He pledged the community’s cooperation and support for the successful implementation of the initiative.
Anyianuka said the community understood the scale of the project and the responsibilities that came with hosting it, adding that Nomeh was prepared to work with SEDC, the state government, contractors, investors and other stakeholders.
Meanwhile, a community leader and media aide to Governor Mbah, Anichukwu, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the creation of the SEDC, describing it as an opportunity to accelerate development in the South East.
He said the hosting of the commission’s pilot agro-development project had placed Nomeh in an important position within the region’s emerging development plans.
Reviving Eastern Region’s Agricultural Legacy
The Executive Director of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development at SEDC, Dr. Clifford Ogbede, said the commission was committed to reviving the agricultural and agro-industrial legacy associated with the former Eastern Region.
He referenced the period between 1954 and 1964, when the region recorded significant economic development under the leadership of the late Premier, Dr. Michael Okpara.
Ogbede said the new initiative was designed to adapt the principles of that agricultural era to modern realities through mechanisation, technology, processing, skills development and market integration.
The 200-hectare Nomeh Unateze pilot farm is therefore expected to serve not only as an agricultural production centre but also as a demonstration model for a broader regional strategy aimed at improving food security, creating jobs, supporting farmers and stimulating agro-industrial development across the South East.
