The Managing Director and CEO of the South East Development Commission, Mark Okoye, is set to engage the general public ahead of the South East Vision 2050 Stakeholders forum scheduled for the first week of February.
The X space is scheduled for Sunday, 25th January 2026 by 7:00 pm WAT. The SEDC invites the general public, especially south-easterners, to come with questions and ideas on the subject theme and expects to get maximum value for their time.
The SEV 2050 stakeholders forum is being held at the International Conference Centre in Enugu, creating an avenue for brainstorming and review of developmental goals for the South East region with 2050 in view.
Areas of discussion and analysis at the forum include Security, Conflict resolution and Peacebuilding, Urban planning, transportation, and spatial development, Digital Economy, innovation and technology, and Agro development and food security.
The SEDC initiated by the Bola Tinubu adminstration was put in place to get the South-East region up to speed in terms of development following the setback of the Nigerian civil war. However, the commission is yet to be funded, and the management has kept hopes alive with strategic ideation sessions discussing areas of interest for the commission as far as development is concerned.
Mark Okoye, the arrowhead of the commission, is an experienced investment banker with over 15 years of experience. He served as the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Budget, and Development Partners in Anambra State, serving as one of the youngest ministers. He went on to serve as the MD/CEO of the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA).
Critics have referred to the SEDC as another talkshop affair where ideas and strategy are raised with very little implementation at the end of the day. Optimists perceive the commission to be a massive improvement, given the historical position of the south east region in national affairs.
1571 Attendees Register for SEV 2050 Forum
Following a successful X space hosted by the SEDC MD, Mark Okoye. The CEO announced that more than 1,571 attendees have registered for the South East Vision 2050 stakeholders forum, slated for next month.
The event, lasting from 3rd February to 6th February, aims to add to the ongoing conversation on how to move the South East forward, with 2050 as the reference timeline. Okoye also revealed that about 700 tickets have been disbursed for the upcoming forum, roughly a week away from the event the day.
Tickets for the stakeholders’ forum are distributed via email, and early applicants are encouraged to check their emails for their tickets and registration details.
SEDC MD Calls for Regional Development Plan
Speaking at the X space later in the day, Okoye stressed that the SEDC is not set up to replace or take over the duties of the various tiers of government. However, the Commission is tasked with developing a robust development plan for the south-east region going into the future.
He reiterated that a development plan for the region gives everyone a chance to participate in the region’s development. He believes that a development plan will align all tiers of government as well as non-state stakeholders, towards a common goal, increasing the chance of success.
Okoye added that the various states in the southeast need to take on region-wide projects and view the region as one cohesive bloc. This, he believes, will go far in helping the commission actualise its targets and dreams.
The SEDC is the latest regional development commission to be created in Nigeria, following the existence of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the South West Development Commission (SWDC), and equivalent commissions in the northern part of the country.
