By our reporter
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a sweeping investment initiative targeting Nigeria’s South-East region, a transformative move aimed at accelerating industrial growth, unlocking regional economic potential, and driving national development.
The South-East Investment Initiative (SEII), announced via a presidential directive, is designed to attract significant domestic and foreign investment to a region known for its entrepreneurial spirit and commercial vibrancy. The plan includes a comprehensive strategy that combines infrastructure development, financial incentives, policy reforms, and support for innovation.
The Presidency revealed that the initiative is a key component of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which focuses on economic diversification, regional development, and inclusive prosperity across Nigeria.
The initiative will see the establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) across key South-East states. These industrial zones will offer tax holidays, duty-free imports of equipment and raw materials, and simplified registration processes for investors. In addition, critical infrastructure upgrades—including roads, power grids, and logistics hubs—will be prioritized to support large-scale manufacturing and export activities.
Public-private partnerships will play a central role in funding and implementing major projects under the initiative. The federal government will work closely with state governments, local entrepreneurs, and international development partners to ensure sustainable and impactful investments.
Another major component of the initiative is the rollout of skills development programs. New technical training centers and innovation hubs will be launched to equip the region’s youth and workforce with the skills needed for modern industries and digital economies.
Economic experts have praised the move as timely and strategic. With cities such as Aba, Onitsha, Nnewi, and Enugu already recognized for their commercial activity, the initiative is expected to formalize and scale up existing industries, while attracting new ones.
The business community and South-East state governors have widely welcomed the announcement, viewing it as a long-overdue step toward addressing the infrastructure and investment gaps that have historically limited the region’s growth.
President Tinubu is expected to unveil the detailed implementation plan at the upcoming South-East Economic Development Summit in Enugu this August. The summit will gather key stakeholders to align on timelines, funding models, and governance structures for the initiative.
This initiative marks one of the most ambitious regional development efforts by the federal government in recent history, with the potential to elevate the South-East into a major industrial hub not just within Nigeria, but across the West African subregion.
