Elsie Attafuah, the resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has hailed the Southeast region of Nigeria as one of Africa’s most dynamic, powered by enterprise and resilience.
Speaking at the Southeast Vision 2050 stakeholders forum in Enugu, Attafuah highlighted the various Southeast states and their unique economic strengths, which contribute to the region’s growth.
” The South East is one of Nigeria and Africa’s most dynamic regions, powered by enterprise and resilience. Its strength lies in complementarity: Abia—manufacturing | Anambra—trade & industry | Enugu—clean energy & tourism | Imo—hospitality & innovation | Ebonyi—agribusiness & solid minerals.” says Attafuah
The UNDP resident rep expressed delight in sharing the stage with leaders in the region, including the governors of the five southeastern states, as well as the vice president of the federation, His Excellency, Kashim Shetimma.
“A pleasure joining the leaders from the Region, Excellencies @AlexOtti, @PNMbah, @FrancisNwifuru, @CCSoludo, @Hope_Uzodimma1, in contributing to the #SouthEastVision2050, advancing great collaboration and stronger interstate alignment.” Attafuah shared on X
Attafuah was in Enugu a few days ago to sign a strategic partnership between the UNDP and the Enugu state government. The partnership focuses on accelerated development listing Enugu state as a new member of the Integrated Smart States Programme for Accelerated Development (2025–2027). Abia State signed a similar partnership in 2025, adding to its growing list of global partnerships.
Speaking on her expereince in Enugu, Attuah commended the greenery and the energy of the people which she described as the silent wealth of the region. She encouraged nigerian’s to travel within and explore parts of the country ahead of the world GlobalTourismResilienceDay.
South East Vision 2050 Stakeholders Forum Enters Third Day
The landmark South East Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholders’ Forum is currently in its third day, with attendees converged at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Enugu.
Yesterday was marked by the high-profile launch of the 25-year development blueprint by Vice President Kashim Shettima. Today, the focus has shifted from political speeches to deep-dive technical sessions and strategic sector alignment.
The third day is set aside for experts to present deep dives into their core areas of expertise. Shortlisted areas of focus include
- Industrial Transformation: Discussions on creating the “South East Common Market”—a borderless unification of commerce and industry proposed by Governor Peter Mbah.
- Energy & Power: Specifically focusing on joint 600-megawatt regional power plant projects to end the electricity deficit in the Southeast.
- Digital Economy & Innovation: Strategies to integrate the region’s tech hubs in Enugu, Aba and Imo into a single digital ecosystem.
Also scheduled for the day is an intense post-war reconstruction dialogue aimed at creating a Marshall Plan for the Southeast to address lingering infrastructure gaps left by the Nigerian Civil War in 1966.
A prospective collaboration with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is also in the works, as proposed by the Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh. The goal is to harmonise cross-regional projects that connect the Southeast to the South-South, promoting efficiency and large-scale collaboration among neighbouring regions.
The Southeast 2050 stakeholder’s forum is ending tomorrow, and the final day of the programme is slated for conclusions and implementation strategy. Tomorrow will witness the adoption and reading of the South East Vision 2050 Stakeholder Communiqué, as well as the announcement of Clear Next Steps for the immediate implementation of the first phase of regional projects.
