SEDC MD/CEO Highlights Regional Partnership, Food Security, Investment and Job Creation Through Modern Agriculture.
Enugu Media Village (EMV), the Most Updated Online News Platform | September 25, 2026.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC), Mr. Mark Okoye, has reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to working with the Enugu State Government and other stakeholders to unlock the agricultural potential of the South-East and establish agriculture as a major driver of regional economic development.
Mark Okoye’s position formed part of the activities surrounding the South-East Agro-Development Programme, which is being implemented to promote modern agriculture, strengthen food production, attract investment and create sustainable employment opportunities across the region.
A major component of the initiative is the 200-hectare integrated model farm at Nomeh Unateze in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State. The project is designed to demonstrate how modern technology, mechanisation, processing and value-chain development can be integrated to improve agricultural productivity.
The model farm incorporates several agricultural components, including dairy production, poultry, fisheries, greenhouse farming, fodder production, processing, mechanisation and agricultural skills development.
Under the leadership of Mark Okoye, the SEDC has continued to emphasise the importance of moving beyond subsistence farming towards commercially viable agriculture capable of generating wealth, supporting food security and creating opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
The initiative is also designed to strengthen agricultural value chains by creating opportunities not only in primary production, but also in processing, packaging, transportation, storage, marketing and distribution.
The SEDC’s collaboration with the Enugu State Government reflects the Commission’s broader mandate to promote coordinated development across the five South-East states through strategic interventions, investment and partnerships.
The Enugu partnership is expected to provide a framework through which farmers, investors, young entrepreneurs, cooperatives and other stakeholders can participate in a more structured and commercially oriented agricultural ecosystem.
The Nomeh Unateze integrated farm is consequently positioned as a pilot model that could provide lessons for the expansion of similar agricultural initiatives across the South-East.
The programme also places emphasis on human-capital development, with agricultural training and practical skills expected to form part of the initiative’s long-term impact. This is aimed at equipping young people with relevant knowledge and practical opportunities within the agricultural value chain.
The Enugu State Government, represented at the programme by Deputy Governor Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, has reaffirmed its readiness to collaborate with SEDC in advancing initiatives that support food production, investment and economic diversification.
The partnership comes against the background of growing efforts across the South-East to harness agriculture not only as a means of improving food security but also as a platform for industrialisation, employment generation and regional economic integration.
For the SEDC, the agricultural development programme represents an opportunity to demonstrate how strategic partnerships between the Commission, state governments, communities and private-sector investors can translate agricultural potential into measurable economic opportunities.
As implementation progresses, attention is expected to focus on effective project delivery, community participation, private investment, skills development and the establishment of sustainable agricultural value chains.
Enugu Media Village (EMV), the Most Updated Online News Platform, reports that the SEDC agricultural initiative under the leadership of Mr. Mark Okoye, MD/CEO, reflects an emerging regional approach to agriculture focused on productivity, investment, food security, employment and sustainable economic development across the South-East.