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The South East Development Commission (SEDC) is preparing to roll out 15 agro-mechanisation projects across the five Southeast states as part of efforts to revive commercial agriculture, create jobs and strengthen the region’s economic base.
The programme will see three projects established in each of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states, with implementation beginning in Enugu in partnership with the state governments.
SEDC disclosed the plan during a community engagement at Nomeh in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, where officials met community leaders and other stakeholders ahead of the proposed Nomeh agro-mechanisation project.
Agriculture at the Centre of Regional Revival
The commission said the initiative is designed to draw lessons from the agricultural foundation of the former Eastern Region’s economic growth between 1954 and 1964.
According to SEDC, agriculture will serve as an important starting point in its broader blueprint to restore economic activity across the Southeast.
Dr Clifford Ogbede, Executive Director of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development at SEDC, said the programme would combine modern agricultural knowledge with mechanisation and investment to improve productivity.
Ogbede, represented at the engagement by his technical adviser, Dr Chris Uwadoka, said the projects would introduce agricultural specialists, agro-entrepreneurs, improved seeds and technical support to local farmers.
Enugu to Host Three Pilot Projects
Enugu will be the first state to benefit from the programme, with projects planned across its three senatorial districts.
The proposed locations are Nomeh in Nkanu East, Elugwu Akwu in Oji River Local Government Area and Nkpologwu in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area.
The projects are expected to benefit host communities while contributing to the wider agricultural development objectives of the Southeast.
The SEDC said the programme would also create opportunities for both local and foreign investors, including members of the Southeast diaspora interested in participating in the region’s economic development.
Youth Employment a Major Focus
The commission is also positioning the initiative as a way to make agriculture more attractive to young people.
SEDC said many young people have moved away from farming because of the physical demands of traditional agriculture, low productivity and limited opportunities to build businesses around agricultural production.
Mechanisation and the development of agricultural enterprises, it said, could help change that situation by creating direct and indirect employment while giving young people practical knowledge and opportunities to earn income from the sector.
The commission’s approach is therefore broader than simply providing farming equipment. It wants to create an ecosystem around commercial agriculture involving farmers, specialists, entrepreneurs and investors.
SEDC Rejects Land-Grabbing Concerns
During the engagement, Ogbede also rejected suggestions that the agro-mechanisation programme was connected to plans to acquire land for cattle grazing.
He described the initiative as an entirely Southeast-focused development programme intended to benefit the region and, ultimately, Nigeria.
The clarification comes as the commission seeks community support before projects are implemented across different locations.
Agriculture Linked to Regional Security
The programme is also being linked to efforts to address insecurity through economic activity and employment.
The SEDC’s Enugu State Liaison Officer, Edeani M. Edeani, said the Federal Government and the Enugu State Government were committed to using agriculture as part of their response to insecurity.
He argued that large-scale mechanised farming could ensure productive use of land while providing employment for young people.
Nomeh Looks to Revive Its Agricultural Economy
For Nomeh, the project carries particular historical significance.
Community leaders said the area was once a major railway and agricultural centre before the Civil War, with companies including UAC and Leventis operating in the community.
The traditional leadership welcomed the SEDC project as an opportunity to restore economic activity and revive the community’s agricultural potential.
The SEDC was established after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the legislation creating the commission into law on July 24, 2024, providing a regional framework for coordinated development across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.
With the 15-project rollout, the commission is now placing agriculture at the centre of its early economic-development agenda, betting that mechanisation, investment and youth employment can help rebuild the Southeast’s agricultural economy and create a stronger foundation for regional growth.
