South East Devt Commission: High hopes, lingering doubts one year after

By Steve Oko, Chinedu Adonu & Alumona Ukwueze

More than five decades after the Nigerian Civil War, the scars still linger. Families remember the properties they lost, the livelihoods that vanished overnight, and the over two million lives cut short in a conflict that reshaped the destiny of a people.

What followed was not just physical destruction, but years of rebuilding from almost nothing through resilience, trade, and sheer determination.

So, when the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) was announced in 2025, it stirred something deeper than policy excitement. It rekindled a quiet, cautious hope that perhaps, at last, there would be a deliberate effort to heal old wounds, to bridge decades of perceived neglect, and to give the region the structured support it deserved.

But one year later, that fragile hope is beginning to flicker.

Across towns and cities, the conversations are no longer about what could be, but about what is missing. People are asking, with a mix of pain and impatience: after all these years, are we once again being asked to hope without seeing?

On paper, the SEDC holds enormous promise. With a proposed N250 billion 2025 budget-N140 billion as take-off funding and N110 billion expected from private partnerships, the Commission outlined an ambitious roadmap. Its leadership spoke of transforming the region’s economy from $40 billion to $200 billion in 10 years, focusing on infrastructure, agriculture, industry, and technology.

There were bold ideas – rail lines linking the five states, tackling over 2,700 erosion sites, and attracting investment through a regional vehicle.

But beyond the plans and projections, little appears to have changed on the ground.

No office, no funds, no visibility

Investigations reveal a troubling reality: the Commission has yet to access its take-off funds. Even more concerning, it reportedly has no functional office.

An insider disclosed that the building provided in Enugu was an uncompleted structure, forcing the Commission to operate quietly from a temporary and undisclosed location.

Efforts to get explanations from the leadership have so far yielded little, while state governments across the South-East have remained largely silent.

For many residents, this silence only deepens suspicion.

“Is this another empty promise?”

Across different segments of society, concern is growing that the SEDC may become yet another government initiative that exists more in speeches than in reality.

Former Minister of Education and Health, Ihechukwu Madubuike, did not mince words. He called on the Commission to publish its scorecard and explain what it has achieved so far.

“You don’t set up a commission and abandon it,” he said. “Governance must be rooted in transparency, not propaganda.”

FG should match promises with action —Ohuabunwa

Former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and Chairman of the Igbo Council of Business Leaders, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, expressed concern over SEDC’s inability to access its take-off grant, describing the delay as unacceptable and a reflection of Nigeria’s broader problem of poor policy implementation rather than lack of institutions.

He cited low-budget releases – reportedly below 10 per cent of the 2025 budget – despite increased government revenues, warning that the gap between promises and delivery could erode public trust. While urging the Federal Government to release funds and cut bureaucratic delays, he also challenged SEDC to reduce dependence on government financing.

Ohuabunwa advised the commission to explore alternative funding sources and play a stronger coordinating role by mobilising business leaders, investors, and regional stakeholders to drive development, stressing that real impact must go beyond plans and translate into tangible results.
“Government is receiving more money from the removal of subsidies, from the devaluation of currency, and from increased taxes. Everywhere money seems to be flowing, yet everybody else is complaining. I don’t understand it.”

FG shouldn’t dash our hope — Archbishop Opoko

The Archbishop of Umuahia Methodist Diocese, Chibuzor Opoko, warned the Federal Government not to dash the hope of the South-East for the SEDC, saying its lack of impact after one year risks being seen as political hype.

He criticised the failure to fund the Commission, alleging marginalisation. The Archbishop added that the manifest neglect of the South-East was the reason for the renewed agitation for Biafra. and call for a referendum by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The cleric also questioned the use of federal loans and urged non-discrimination. He advised that when funds arrive, SEDC should prioritise rail connectivity, inland waterways, agriculture, and seaport development to drive economic growth and food security.

“If you create a commission like this, it should be funded. Why should our own be different? I have always said it: if you don’t want Igbos, allow them to go their separate way! Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been calling for a referendum because of injustice.

“Why is it that the oil from this region belongs to the Federal Government, yet nobody accounts for the gold mined in the North? Some people from the North own oil wells here, but nobody from here owns a gold mine there.

“Do they think our children don’t see these injustices? When you suppress their fathers today, tomorrow they may become fierce and decide that enough is enough. So, don’t push people to the wall.”

Setting the agenda for the commission, he said: “When the funds begin to come, connect all the states in the South-East by rail to boost commerce. Dredge Oguta Lake and Azumini Blue River to give the region access to the sea. Igbo land deserves a seaport.

“They should promote massive agriculture for export and food security. Only those who produce their own food will withstand the global uncertainties ahead.

We ‘re still sceptical about SEDC’s true motive —Igbo women

Igbo Women Assembly (IWA), led by its National President, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, expressed scepticism over the true intent of SEDC, citing the continued delay in releasing its take-off funds as validation of IWA’s concerns.

The group accused the APC-led Federal Government of unfair treatment toward the Igbo, suggesting the commission may be a politically motivated effort to create false hope and strengthen ties with the South-East. Chimezie noted that many in the region did not fully embrace the SEDC due to poor consultation and exclusion of key stakeholders.

She argued that the commission’s leadership should not be blamed if it remains unfunded, warning that such a situation could fuel internal divisions and pitch the management against the people. Chimezie also questioned the lack of media attention on the funding delay and urged South-East leaders to push for proper financing.

She concluded that the Federal Government must show a genuine commitment by adequately funding the SEDC, stressing that raising expectations without delivery risks deepening frustration in the region.

No visible projects, squanders funds on travels, frivolities —Activist

Enugu-based activist, Onyebuchi Igboke criticised the SEDC for prioritising politics and wasteful spending over real development, describing its performance as “far below average” with little beyond consultations and planning.

He faulted the composition of the commission’s leadership as politically-driven, arguing that its dominance by political figures fuels concerns about bloated administrative costs.

Igboke alleged that resources are being spent on travel and events rather than impactful projects, warning the commission risks becoming a “jamboree platform.”

The activist also cautioned against premature praise of the Federal Government’s efforts without measurable results.

He also raised concerns about transparency and accountability, questioning whether funds would be properly managed if released. Calling for independent oversight, he urged leaders to ensure strict supervision of spending and shift focus from rhetoric to tangible development outcomes.

“They are spending heavily on movement, elaborate gatherings, and expensive venues – costs that add no direct value to the people. They have delivered more talks than action. There are no visible projects – just endless consultations. It increasingly looks like a platform to access funds without impact,” he concluded.

He urged Igbo leaders to move beyond praise-singing by ensuring not just the release of funds but strict supervision of how they are spent, warning against excessive focus on recurrent expenditure.

However, a Public Affairs analyst, also based in Enugu, Dr Ambrose Igboke, blamed “SEDC’s slow start” on Nigeria’s confusing budgeting system, which he said runs three budgets at once.

He praised SEDC’s clear development plan, funding strategy through a Special Purpose Vehicle, rail connectivity vision, and its regional investment summit. He added that the Commission should not be judged until it receives federal startup funding.

SEDC yet to match promise with performance —Nwafor

Comrade Nnanna Nwafor, Convener of the South-East Development Agenda said the SEDC, though widely welcomed at inception, has fallen short of expectations one year after inauguration.

He noted a disconnect between its ambitious mandate and actual impact, attributing this largely to the commission’s inability to access its N140 billion take-off grant due to bureaucratic delays, compliance issues, and weak coordination. According to him, “a development agency without liquidity is essentially a policy shell.”

While the approved 2026 budget appears substantial, Nwafor warned that without disciplined execution, clear projects, and transparency, it may yield little result. He added that SEDC risks becoming overly bureaucratic, with minimal project visibility and slow implementation, lagging behind similar agencies in tangible outcomes.

Nwafor called for urgent fund release, quick-impact projects, improved transparency, stronger partnerships, and regular performance audits, stressing that SEDC remains a delayed opportunity that can still deliver if reformed.

SEDC created to pacify Igbo political elite —Intersociety

International Society for Civil Liberty and Rule of Law (Intersociety), said SEDC, was created to pacify the Igbo political elite.

The Onitsha-based advocacy group described SEDC as largely ineffective and existing only in theory since its creation. Intersociety Chairman, Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi, questioned the commission’s purpose, leadership, and transparency, suggesting it may have been established merely to pacify the political elite rather than drive real development.

He also expressed concern over delays in fund releases, noting that the approved N140 billion is insufficient to address the region’s infrastructure deficit. Umeagbalasi highlighted the gap between budget approval and actual fund disbursement, warning that without proper funding, accountability, and a clear development agenda, the commission will remain ineffective.

He further stressed that insecurity in the region must be addressed alongside development efforts, insisting that meaningful progress cannot occur without safety, strategic planning, and functional institutional structures.

However, our insider source exonerated management of the commission of any wasteful spending, clarifying that SEDC , just like other sister commissions, had not been funded. Vanguard reliably gathered that less than one per cent of the 2025 budget of regional development bodies was released around January 2026.

Worried by this ugly trend, the Senate last week approved a fresh extension of the 2025 budget’s capital expenditure timeline, moving the deadline to 30th June 2026. This is the second extension of the deadline, previously shifted from 31st December 2025 to 31 March 2026, to give the FG more time to complete ongoing capital projects.

Experts attribute the persistent disruptions in project execution to the strange practice of implementing multiple budgets simultaneously.

This overlapping cycle has strained financial planning and contributed to cash flow challenges across many federal agencies.

There are fears that unless this structural anomaly is addressed, the cycle of delays, funding gaps, and stalled projects is likely to persist.