According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Igbo Heritage Renaissance Forum (IHRF) has called on the governors of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states to strengthen collaboration in order to accelerate sustainable development across the South East.
The call was made on Tuesday in Enugu during the forum’s maiden conference and public unveiling, where participants adopted the Enugu Declaration on South East Development.
Speaking through the Deputy President of the forum, Mr. Chijioke Ogbodo, the President of IHRF, Prince Iwola Mba, said that although each state had its own development agenda, many of the region’s challenges and opportunities required coordinated action.
He identified infrastructure, transportation, security, environmental sustainability, industrialisation, agriculture, tourism, innovation and human capital development as priority areas that demand joint planning and implementation.
Mba commended the South East governors for ongoing reforms aimed at improving infrastructure, expanding economic opportunities and strengthening governance, but urged them to deepen cooperation on issues of regional importance.
He described the IHRF as a non partisan civic and public policy organisation established to promote regional development, good governance, research, policy dialogue, civic participation and strategic partnerships.
The forum also appealed to the Federal Government to sustain policies and programmes that would improve infrastructure, security, economic opportunities and national integration across the South East.
Mba emphasised the need for inclusive and sustainable development that creates equal opportunities for women, youths and vulnerable groups while safeguarding the environment for future generations.
He further urged the South East Development Commission to discharge its mandate with transparency, professionalism, inclusiveness and measurable impact, describing the commission as a key driver of regional transformation.
The forum also called on local government councils, traditional institutions, town unions, the organised private sector, academia, civil society organisations and development partners to work together in promoting innovation, investment and sustainable development in the region.
Mba appealed to South East indigenes both at home and in the diaspora to continue contributing their ideas, expertise and resources towards the advancement of the region, stressing that greater collaboration among governments, institutions, businesses and citizens is essential to unlocking the South East’s full economic potential.
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