Vision 2050 Forum: Stakeholders Push for South East Common Market

Call for South East Common Market Takes Centre Stage at Vision 2050 Stakeholders’ Forum in Enugu


A call for deeper regional economic integration in the South East dominated discussions on Tuesday in Enugu State, as stakeholders gathered for the South East Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholders’ Forum, hosted in Enugu, the headquarters of the South East region of Nigeria. The forum was officially declared open by the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, GCON.


Speaking at the forum, the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, made a case for reimagining the South East as a single economic bloc rather than five separate and parallel actors, stressing that competitiveness in today’s global economy depends on coordination, scale, and collective action.


Governor Mbah proposed the establishment of a South East Common Market, which he described as a framework for integrating commerce, talent, infrastructure, and industrial capacity across the region. According to him, a borderless regional market would position the South East to attract investment more effectively, enhance productivity, and compete at both regional and global levels.


He noted that the global economic environment increasingly rewards regions that organise, integrate, and act cohesively, rather than fragmented sub-national economies operating in isolation.


The forum was attended by governors of the five South East states, including Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, and Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, alongside other government officials, policymakers, private sector leaders, and development stakeholders.


At the event, Governor Mbah also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the establishment of the South East Development Commission, describing it as a critical institutional platform for long-term regional planning, coordinated investment, and enhanced economic competitiveness.


Participants were told that the Vision 2050 agenda must move beyond policy declarations to concrete execution. Priority areas identified included bankable cross-state projects, integrated logistics corridors, coordinated regional security architecture, and harmonised investment regulations across the South East. 


     You can also read: Senate Declines Proposal to Make Electronic Transmission of Election Results Mandatory:

https://everydaystorynetwork.blogspot.com/2026/02/senate-declines-mandatory-electronic.html





Speakers at the forum emphasised that the push for regional integration is not driven by prestige or inter-state rivalry, but by the need to build durable systems capable of supporting sustainable economic growth, job creation, and shared prosperity across the region.


The South East Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholders’ Forum brought together key actors from government and the private sector to deliberate on long-term strategies for positioning the South East as a competitive and integrated economic region.


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