SEDC Agro-Mechanisation Project Set for Flag-Off in Enugu

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SEDC, Mark Okoye, disclosed this during a pre-flag-off inspection and community engagement at Nomeh Unateze in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The Nomeh Unateze project is the first of 15 agro-mechanisation projects planned by the commission across the five states of the South-East, with one project located in each senatorial zone.

Okoye said the commission spent its first year after its establishment in 2024 conducting extensive studies and developing a comprehensive blueprint for the economic transformation of the region.

He described agriculture and agro-mechanisation as key components of the blueprint, noting that the initiative was designed to boost food production, create jobs and contribute to addressing insecurity.

According to him, the commission plans to develop up to 50,000 hectares of farmland for mechanised farming across the region.

He said the programme would begin with pilot farms of between 200 and 300 hectares in each of the 15 senatorial zones, where staple crops such as cassava and maize, as well as selected cash crops, would be cultivated.

“Essentially, we are here for a pre-assessment, pre-flag-off visit to see the area, understand the level of work that needs to be done and ensure that the contractors can start mobilising very quickly so that once we hit the site, we start running,” Okoye said.

He added that some of the farms would also include centres for learning and productivity to provide opportunities for skills development and improved agricultural practices.

Okoye said the investment in the project was expected to attract additional private-sector investment into the host communities.

“And the second we put this investment here, at least N4 billion or N5 billion of added investment will come in,” he stated.

The SEDC boss also announced plans by the commission to establish an investment agency that would mobilise local and diaspora capital for development projects across the South-East.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing the commission, describing it as an institutional response to the region’s longstanding demand for a dedicated development agency.

He urged people of the South-East to support the commission’s development initiatives.

Speaking on the project, the Enugu State Governor’s media aide and community leader, Uche Anichukwu, described the initiative as a major economic opportunity for Nomeh Unateze and the state.

Anichukwu also cited the Nenwe-Nomeh-Mburubu-Nara road, with a spur to Oduma, as critical infrastructure that would provide access to markets and support the movement of agricultural produce from the project area.

The Chairman of the Nomeh Unateze Town Union Caretaker Committee, Dr. Chukwudi Anyianuka, and other community stakeholders expressed support for the project and pledged cooperation towards its successful implementation.

Anyianuka said the SEDC’s approach demonstrated the importance of planning and research in addressing the development challenges of the South-East.

“The Commission has taken a methodical approach to regional development. Rather than the pitfall of throwing money at development challenges, it undertook a study of the region and came up with a masterplan, which includes this initiative, to reinvent the South-East post-civil war,” he said.

Members of the Nomeh Unateze traditional council, community leaders and other stakeholders attended the engagement.