Gov Mbah Urges SEDC to Prioritise Gas Pipeline, Regional Rail Network, Industrial Growth

Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has called on the South East Development Commission (SEDC) to prioritise a regional gas pipeline, an inter-state railway network and strategic investments to accelerate industrialisation across the South East.

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Mbah said the proposed infrastructure projects would expand economic opportunities, improve connectivity among the five South East states and strengthen regional integration.

He also urged the National Assembly to provide adequate funding for the commission, describing it as a strategic vehicle for addressing the region’s development challenges and unlocking its economic potential.

The governor made the call on Monday while receiving the Senate Committee on the South East Development Commission, led by its Chairman, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, at the Government House, Enugu.

The delegation, accompanied by the SEDC management team led by its Managing Director, Mr Mark Okoye, was in the state as part of an oversight visit to assess the commission’s projects and programmes.

Mbah described the Senate committee as critical to the region’s development aspirations, given its oversight responsibilities and influence over the commission’s funding and operations.

“For us in the South East, this Committee is one of the most important committees of the National Assembly, given the immense development prospects it holds for our people,” the governor said.

The governor identified a high-pressure gas pipeline linking major cities across the South East as a priority intervention capable of providing industries with reliable energy supplies and stimulating large-scale industrial development.

He argued that the region should benefit from the gas resources produced within the wider southern part of Nigeria, noting that existing pipeline infrastructure already transports gas to other parts of the country.

“If we are able to have a high-pressure gas pipeline across all the major cities in the South East, I know that the SEDC is a veritable platform that can essentially execute a project of that scale,” Mbah said.

According to him, improved access to gas could strengthen industrial capacity, attract investment and create an enabling environment for businesses to expand across the region.

Mbah also proposed an inter-state railway network connecting major cities across the five South East states to facilitate trade, ease transportation and reduce pressure on the region’s road infrastructure.

He called for collaboration among the states to develop a common design for the proposed railway system, suggesting that the SEDC could provide the institutional platform for coordinating the initiative.

“We are hoping that, given the coming into effect of the SEDC, we will be able to use it as a platform to bring all the other states together to have a common design on the South East railway line,” he said.

Beyond major infrastructure, Mbah highlighted the SEDC’s potential to support agriculture and technology-driven businesses as part of a broader strategy to stimulate economic growth.

He cited the flag-off of a 200-hectare integrated Agro Development Programme at Nomeh Unateze in Enugu State as one of the commission’s interventions in the agricultural sector.

The governor assured the commission of the state government’s support in creating an enabling environment for the programme.

He also called for funding opportunities for young entrepreneurs whose businesses had attained the minimum viable product stage, enabling them to scale up operations, create jobs and contribute to the region’s economic development.

Mbah urged members of the Senate committee to support efforts to secure the funding required for the commission to implement strategic projects, describing the proposed interventions as potential catalysts for an industrial revolution in the South East.

Earlier, Senator Kalu commended the Mbah administration for its interventions in infrastructure, education, healthcare, water supply and transportation.

He cited the development of Smart Green Schools, the provision of more than 7,000 classrooms, Type II primary healthcare centres across the state’s 260 electoral wards and the development of a multimodal transportation system.

Kalu also acknowledged Mbah’s efforts to strengthen engagement between the South East and the Federal Government, while expressing appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for facilitating the establishment of the SEDC.

The senator disclosed that the disagreement over the location of the commission’s headquarters had been resolved following the Enugu State Government’s provision of temporary office accommodation and a site for its permanent headquarters.

“We wanted to make sure that the commission locates to Enugu State as soon as possible, and this has been a subject of disagreement. But today, I can assure you that the issue is settled,” Kalu said.

He thanked the governor for the support provided to facilitate the commission’s take-off and assured him of the committee’s continued backing for its activities.