…backs regional gas pipeline, approves South-East Investment Company to attract private capital
By Gloria Ikibah 
President Bola Tinubu has said that Nigeria’s economic prosperity depends on the development of all its regions, insisting that the South-East must be allowed to realise its full industrial and commercial potential.
President Tinubu said his decision to sign the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) Bill into law in July 2024 was driven by his conviction that the region’s prosperity was inseparable from that of the country.
The President spoke on Tuesday at the South-East Gas Pipeline Infrastructure Investment Ceremony in Enugu, where he was represented by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
He said the commission was established to provide sustained institutional support for the reconstruction, rehabilitation and long-term development of the South-East.
“Our responsibility is to build upon that legacy. I have always believed that the prosperity of the South East is inseparable from the prosperity of Nigeria. When Aba’s industries thrive, when Nnewi’s factories expand, and when commerce flourishes in Onitsha, the entire Nigerian economy benefits.
“Nigeria cannot achieve its full economic potential while any region operates below its productive capacity. This conviction is central to our Renewed Hope Agenda. It informed my decision to assent to the legislation establishing the South East Development Commission in July 2024,” he said.
Tinubu emphasised that the commission must focus on delivering measurable results rather than becoming another layer of bureaucracy.
“The Commission was established to provide sustained institutional attention to the region’s reconstruction, rehabilitation and long-term development.
“I established the South East Development Commission to be an institution of delivery. We must measure its success by the investments it mobilises, the infrastructure it enables, the opportunities it creates, and the lives it improves,” the President said.
He commended the SEDC Chairman, Dr Emeka Wogu, the board and the management team led by its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Okoye, for advancing the development initiative.
Tinubu also identified the South-East Vision 2050 process, supported by the Federal Government and the governors of the region, as an important foundation for coordinated development.
The President further disclosed that he had approved the establishment of the South-East Investment Company, saying his administration intended to use public resources to attract larger private-sector investments.
“We must use public resources strategically to unlock much larger pools of private investment. This is the model I expect from our development institutions: identify strategic economic opportunities, prepare credible projects, commit public resources responsibly and mobilise private capital at a scale government budgets alone cannot achieve,” he said.
Tinubu said his administration remained committed to providing critical infrastructure to improve trade, lower business costs and create employment across the South-East.
“My dear people of the South East, we recognise the importance of modern roads, rail connections, reliable energy and efficient access to markets. Our administration continues to advance critical transport infrastructure, including the Enugu–Onitsha and Enugu–Port Harcourt corridors, the supporting infrastructure around the Second Niger Bridge and the Eastern railway corridor.
“We know that much remains to be done. Our commitment is not simply to award contracts, but to deliver infrastructure that reduces costs, expands trade and creates jobs,” he said.
He added that electricity-sector reforms were creating opportunities for state governments and private investors to strengthen power supply in the region and across the country.
Turning to the proposed South-East Gas Distribution Pipeline Project, Tinubu said the initiative would establish a regional network to supply industrial and commercial users in the five South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.
He described natural gas as a vital resource for industrial competitiveness, arguing that its value should be measured by the economic activities it supports rather than the quantity beneath the ground.
“But today, our attention is on another vital foundation of industrial competitiveness: Natural gas. Nigeria possesses substantial gas resources. Yet we must not measure those resources only by what lies beneath our soil. The true value of our gas is in the factories it powers, the jobs it creates and the prosperity it brings to our people,” he said.
The President noted that the Assa North–Ohaji South gas processing project in Imo State had achieved first gas earlier in 2026, presenting an opportunity to connect domestic gas supplies with industries.
“With the Assa North–Ohaji South gas processing project in Imo State achieving first gas earlier this year, we have an important opportunity to connect domestic gas resources to productive industries. The proposed South East Gas Distribution Pipeline Project seeks to do precisely that.
“It aims to develop a regional gas distribution network serving industrial and commercial users across Imo, Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi States,” he said.
Tinubu said the proposed network could strengthen manufacturing in Aba, support industrial clusters in Nnewi and Onitsha, attract investment to Enugu and expand agro-processing and manufacturing in Ebonyi.
He also said the project would strengthen the connection between Imo’s gas resources and the wider regional economy.
“These are not five separate economies. They are parts of one interconnected economic region.
“Gas infrastructure must therefore serve industries and markets, not stop at political boundaries. That is the economic logic of regional integration,” the President said.
The President urged governors in the region to sustain their cooperation, noting that no state could independently achieve the full benefits of regional infrastructure.
“Your Excellencies, the Governors of the South East, I encourage you to sustain the spirit of cooperation that has brought us to this point. No single state can realise the full benefits of regional infrastructure on its own.
“The Federal Government will continue to provide the enabling environment. But states, investors and the private sector must work together to convert these opportunities into productive investments,” he said.
He called on investors to consider the region’s industrial potential and bring in their capital, expertise and long-term commitment.
“To our investors, I say: the South East is a region of enterprise, talent and enormous industrial potential. Look beyond today’s ceremony. Examine the opportunities. Bring your capital, expertise, and long-term commitment.
“To our manufacturers and entrepreneurs, we recognise your resilience. Our responsibility is to create an environment in which your competitiveness depends less on endurance and more on productivity,” he said.
Tinubu said the initiatives were also intended to expand opportunities for young people in the region by creating an environment where their skills could be put to productive use and businesses could grow.
He charged the SEDC and its partners to move beyond ceremonial agreements and develop a clear implementation plan with defined milestones and measurable outcomes.
“I expect the South East Development Commission and its partners to move beyond today’s ceremony with a clear implementation plan, defined milestones and measurable results.
“Let this project be remembered not for the agreements signed today, but for the factories it powers, the investments it attracts and the jobs it creates. For generations, the people of the South East have built successful businesses despite inadequate infrastructure. Our responsibility is to help build an economy in which they can succeed because of the infrastructure we provide,” the President said.
