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By Gloria Ikibah

The South East Development Commission has commenced the grand finale of its inaugural South East Venture Capital Programme, marking a major step towards expanding access to investment funding for emerging businesses across the region.

The event, taking place at the International Conference Centre in Enugu, features 50 finalist ventures selected from more than 1,200 applications submitted by entrepreneurs from across the South-East and other parts of the country.

According to the Commission, the initiative forms part of a broader strategy aimed at creating sustainable investment structures for innovation-driven enterprises and strengthening the region’s economic competitiveness.

The finalists emerged after a rigorous selection process involving video pitch reviews, phased assessments and judging rounds. The businesses were grouped into two categories, the Accelerator Track for ventures with measurable market traction and the Incubation Track for early-stage startups with strong growth potential.

Ahead of the final presentations, participants underwent an intensive investment-readiness bootcamp in Enugu focused on business development, investor engagement and pitch refinement.

Speaking before the grand finale, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Mark Okoye, described the programme as a strategic economic intervention rather than a routine competition.

“What is taking place here is not simply a startup pitch event. It is the deliberate construction of institutional capital infrastructure for the South East. For far too long, exceptional entrepreneurial talent in this region has operated without the kind of structured financial backing required to scale sustainably. The South East Venture Capital Program is our response to that gap, carefully designed to create long-term pathways for capital, innovation, and enterprise growth,” he said.

The 30 successful ventures selected from the finale will be unveiled during the inaugural investment ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, 2026. The selected businesses are expected to receive structured early-stage investment support under the South East Venture Capital Fund.

The Commission explained that the Fund was established to tackle one of the region’s longstanding economic challenges, limited access to institutional startup financing. It added that the investment framework is expected to attract up to $50 million in blended financing from public institutions, development finance partners, private investors and diaspora contributors over time.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of Finance at the Commission and Chairman of the South East Venture Capital Programme, Stanley Ohajuruka, said the initiative had already demonstrated the depth of entrepreneurial talent within the region.

“What this programme has demonstrated very clearly is the depth of entrepreneurial ambition that exists across the South East. The volume and quality of participation affirm that there is no shortage of high-potential ventures in the region. The challenge has always been creating credible structures through which promising ventures can access early support, build investor confidence, and progress toward scale. This initiative is an important first step in building that bridge between enterprise and capital,” he stated.

The programme aligns with the Federal Government’s economic agenda focused on enterprise development, innovation and job creation under the Renewed Hope initiative.

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of importing the Ebola virus disease (EVD) due to ongoing outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

Despite the absence of any confirmed case in the country, the agency said heightened regional transmission, increased international travel, and cross-border population movement have raised concerns over the possibility of the disease spreading into Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, said the agency’s latest risk assessment classified the threat level as high.

“This assessment estimated the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high due to the ongoing transmission in the DRC and Uganda, international travel and population movement, uncertainty regarding the full magnitude of the outbreak, and the potential for delayed recognition because symptoms may overlap with endemic diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever,” the statement read.

The agency disclosed that several states have already been identified as vulnerable because of their proximity to land borders, major transport corridors, and international entry points.

According to the NCDC, response efforts are currently ongoing in the affected countries, including surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control measures, as well as public sensitisation campaigns.

“However, we are aware of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and recent reports of a confirmed imported case in Uganda linked to the outbreak in DRC,” the agency stated.

As part of preparedness measures, the NCDC said Nigeria’s national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has been placed on alert mode, while the incident management system has also been activated to strengthen national coordination and outbreak response capacity.

The agency added that Nigeria still retains critical structures and expertise developed from previous responses to Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic diseases.

“It also must be noted that Nigeria maintains important response capacities, including laboratory capability, trained rapid response teams, functional emergency operations centres (EOCs), established Viral haemorrhagic fever preparedness structures, and prior experience in successfully responding to Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks,” the statement added.
“Epidemiologists and rapid response teams (RRTs) are also on alert for rapid deployment to any affected state, if required.”

The NCDC further said laboratories located in states with international points of entry have been placed on standby, while sample collection and transportation systems are being strengthened to support quick diagnosis of suspected infections.

The agency also said it has intensified public communication campaigns to combat misinformation and false claims surrounding Ebola.
“NCDC is strengthening public awareness and risk communication activities, intensifying social listening and rumour management systems, and working with media organizations, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and digital platforms to amplify credible information and promote responsible public discourse,” the statement said.
“NCDC has also developed and disseminated Ebola Myths and Facts materials to address misinformation and false claims circulating online.”

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The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28, 2026, as public holidays to mark Eid-el-Kabir.

Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced the holidays on Monday in a statement signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Magdalene Ajani.

Tunji-Ojo congratulated Muslims in Nigeria and abroad, calling Eid-ul-Adha a festival of sacrifice, obedience to God, and compassion. He urged Nigerians to use the period for prayer and reflection on peace, security, and national prosperity.

“The Federal Government urges all Nigerians to use this period for prayer and sober reflection, asking for divine see guidance as it continues its pursuit of peace, security, and prosperity for every citizen,” the statement read.