Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has officially flagged off the South East Agro-Development Programme (SEADP), beginning the development of a 200-hectare integrated model farm in Nomeh Unateze, Nkanu East Local Government Area.
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) is implementing the pilot project, which marks a transition from planning to physical execution of its agricultural development programme.
The flag-off ceremony took place on Tuesday and attracted government officials, traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders. Those present included Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh; SEDC Chairman, Dr Emeka Wogu; and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Okoye.
The Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, also attended the event. Related coverage includes SEDC’s wider agro-mechanisation plans for the South-East.
Mbah Says Project Supports Enugu’s Agricultural Plans
Represented by Deputy Governor Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, Governor Mbah described the project as an example of what strategic collaboration between South-East states and the SEDC could achieve.
He said the initiative was particularly important as food production and economic diversification gained greater attention. According to him, the programme aligns with Enugu State’s plan to establish 200-hectare modern farm estates across its 260 wards.
Mbah said investments in agriculture connect with the government’s broader spending on education, roads, security, healthcare and transportation. He explained that these investments aim to improve access and create opportunities for investors and development partners.
“When we invest hugely in education, when we invest hugely in expanding our road infrastructure, when we invest in security, health, and transportation, it is to create access to enable investors and partners like the SEDC to have access to land, have access to development opportunities,” he said.
The governor also linked agricultural investment to the state’s poverty-reduction ambition, which targets the eradication of poverty by 2031. He urged the people of Nomeh Unateze to take ownership of the project.
The initiative forms part of Enugu’s wider development agenda, including the state’s reported infrastructure and service-delivery achievements and its economic growth ambitions.
SEDC Says Integrated Farm Will Demonstrate Modern Agriculture
SEDC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mark Okoye said the project was designed to strengthen the region’s productive capacity and demonstrate a more integrated approach to agriculture.
He explained that the programme would bring land, technology, mechanisation, production, processing, training and markets together within one agricultural system.
Okoye said the project’s success would not be measured only by activities within the 200-hectare site. Instead, the commission would assess its wider influence on farmers, young people and surrounding communities.
“The real impact is what happens around the farm and beyond the farm,” he said.
He gave examples of young people gaining practical skills and establishing farms elsewhere, farmers supplying maize or soya to feed mills, and dairy farmers receiving technical support and reliable market access.
Okoye added that smallholder farmers could also benefit if the surrounding agricultural ecosystem helped them increase production. He described Nomeh Unateze as a starting point and practical model for the commission’s wider agricultural and agro-mechanisation interventions across the five South-East states.
The programme builds on SEDC’s plan to develop agro-mechanisation projects across the region, with agriculture identified as a potential source of jobs and economic activity.
Okoye Commends Enugu Government and Host Community
Okoye commended Governor Mbah for what he described as a visionary and proactive approach to governance. He also expressed satisfaction with the level of support the project had received from Nomeh Unateze.
The SEDC chief executive said cooperation between the commission, state government and host community would be important to the project’s implementation. He presented the farm as part of a wider effort to strengthen agricultural production and create economic opportunities.
The project is also expected to complement other community development initiatives in Enugu. These include the state’s participatory rural appraisal exercise in six communities and grassroots development efforts in Igbo-Eze South.
Regional Development Minister Highlights Value-Chain Opportunities
Speaking on behalf of the Federal Government, Minister of Regional Development Engr. Abubakar Momoh said the project’s purpose extended beyond increasing food production.
He said the region needed an agricultural system capable of producing and processing crops, developing markets, reducing post-harvest losses and improving productivity and incomes.
Momoh also stressed the importance of creating opportunities for young Nigerians to participate meaningfully in modern agriculture. He said the sector should generate value throughout the production chain.
The minister’s remarks highlighted the programme’s intended connection between farming, processing, marketing and employment. Related developments include the SEDC’s agricultural investment plans and Enugu’s broader economic development agenda.
SEDC Chairman Pledges Collaboration With States
SEDC Chairman Dr Emeka Wogu assured stakeholders that the commission would continue working with state governments and other partners. He said its interventions would complement existing development programmes rather than operate separately from them.
“Regional development requires partnership,” Wogu said, adding that the commission could not and should not work in isolation from state governments, communities, the private sector and development partners.
He said the SEDC’s responsibility was to create platforms that connect stakeholders around opportunities capable of generating sustainable economic value for people across the South-East.
The commission’s approach places collaboration at the centre of its regional development work. Similar efforts include community-level development programmes in Enugu and initiatives aimed at attracting investment into the state.
Nomeh Unateze Community Pledges Support
Speaking for the host community, President General of Nomeh Unateze, Dr Chukwudi Anyianuka, described the project as an opportunity to restore the community’s former prominence.
He pledged the community’s support and commitment to taking ownership of the initiative. Anyianuka said residents understood that a project of this scale required cooperation, responsibility and a shared commitment to success.
“We welcome this project because we see it as an investment in the future of Nomeh and our people,” he said.
He added that the community was ready to work with the SEDC, Enugu State Government, contractors, investors and other partners. He said residents hoped the project would deliver opportunities for young people, farmers and the wider community.
Community participation is also a feature of other development efforts in the state, including the community sensitisation programme in six Enugu communities and development initiatives across Nkanu East.
Community Leader Links Project to Regional Development
A community leader and media aide to Governor Mbah, Anichukwu, thanked President Bola Tinubu for establishing the SEDC.
He described the commission as an answer to longstanding calls for a body to coordinate and accelerate development in the South-East following the Nigerian Civil War.
Anichukwu said Nomeh Unateze recognised the significance of hosting the commission’s pilot project. He also linked the community’s appreciation to its political support ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Because we play the politics of development, our gratitude will translate to votes for President Tinubu, our Governor, and the APC come 2027,” he said.
His comments reflected his own stated political position and support for the project. Other election-related coverage includes APC mobilisation in Enugu East and campaign activities involving Nkanu East stakeholders.
SEDC Reaffirms Commitment to Agro-Industrial Development
The SEDC Executive Director for Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Clifford Ogbede, said the commission remained committed to reviving the agro-industrial development associated with the former Eastern Region.
He referenced the region’s economic growth between 1954 and 1964, which he linked to the leadership of the late Dr Michael Okpara.
Ogbede said the commission’s agricultural interventions sought to draw on that history while developing modern approaches to farming and agro-industry. The Nomeh Unateze pilot farm is intended to provide a practical model for wider regional programmes.
The project’s implementation will be watched for its ability to support agricultural production, skills development and economic opportunities beyond the farm itself. Related coverage includes SEDC’s plans for a wider mechanised farming programme and Enugu’s development and investment priorities.
