Gov Mbah tasks SEDC on gas pipeline, regional railways, support for industrial revolution
Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has urged the South East Development Commission (SEDC) to prioritise the development of a regional gas pipeline, railway network and initiatives to accelerate industrialisation in…
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) was established to drive infrastructure and economic revitalisation in the South East geopolitical zone, following the model of similar regional interventionist bodies like the Niger Delta Development Commission. Advocacy for such a commission had long been championed by South East leaders and lawmakers, including Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, as a vehicle for addressing the zone's infrastructure deficits and spurring industrial growth after years of agitation over perceived marginalisation in federal development spending.
Governor Peter Mbah's appeal to the commission, made during a visit by the Senate Committee on the SEDC, centres on three priorities: a regional gas pipeline, inter-state railway connectivity and support for industrialisation efforts tied to Enugu's economic agenda. Kalu's reported remark that the commission must operate from within the zone rather than Abuja points to an underlying debate over how the SEDC should be structured and headquartered to ensure it is responsive to local needs rather than becoming another centrally-controlled federal agency.