Shettima launches vision 2050 blueprint for Southeast’s economic development

…says new investment, diaspora partnerships will drive infrastructure, industrial transformation

Kashim Shettima, the Vice President, has launched a 25-year development blueprint for the South-East region, saying the region is a central pillar of Nigeria’s economic future.

He also announced that President Bola Tinubu had approved the establishment of the South East Investment Company Limited, designed to mobilise resources from the diaspora, capital markets, and development finance institutions for the region’s development.

Speaking on Wednesday during the South-East Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholders’ Forum in Enugu,  Shetima said the gathering was a decisive break from short-term governance cycles toward a structured, multi-decade development framework.

“This forum reflects foresight, responsibility, and a shared understanding that the future is not something we wait for, but something we must deliberately design.

“In recognition of the distinctive character of the South-East, its entrepreneurial spirit, its global diaspora, and its long-standing relationship with international capital, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the establishment of the South East Investment Company Limited”, Shettima said.

He said the company would work in synergy with the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) to address postwar infrastructure gaps and drive long-term regional competitiveness.

Shettima reaffirmed that the SEDC was conceived to focus on structural transformation rather than routine administrative activity, insisting that Nigeria is strongest when its regions thrive.

“Let me be clear. This is not another layer of bureaucracy. It is a delivery institution, focused on tangible outcomes that translate into jobs, productivity, and growth,” he stated, noting that the South-East carries a unique historical burden, which makes deliberate regional planning both urgent and necessary.

The VP praised the inclusive nature of the forum, which brought together Federal and State Governments, traditional institutions, the private sector, civil society, and development partners.

He also acknowledged the presence of Umu Igbo Unite, a United States–based network of over 10,000 young professionals, saying, “The future of the South-East will be built both at home and abroad, together.”