Alawuba Urges Security and Infrastructure Push to Anchor South-East Vision 2050
The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Oliver Alawuba, has urged leaders in Nigeria’s South-East to place peace and security at the heart of their development agenda. Speaking at the South-East Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholder Forum in Enugu, Alawuba stressed that safety remains the foremost condition investors assess before committing capital. Without peace, he argued, the region’s long-term aspirations under the South-East Vision 2050 framework will remain elusive.
Alawuba commended the visible progress made by South-East governors in road construction and other facilities, but insisted that accelerated delivery at scale is required. He highlighted reliable power, motorable roads, rail, water, and connectivity as critical enablers of productivity and competitiveness. According to him, infrastructure is the bedrock of development, and without it, the region cannot unlock its full economic potential. While acknowledging the ambition of the South-East Vision 2050, Alawuba cautioned that vision alone is insufficient.
He challenged stakeholders to articulate clear, measurable, and bankable projects capable of attracting long-term capital. For the region to succeed, he said, it must present investment-ready initiatives that deliver jobs, unlock enterprise growth, and improve livelihoods. He emphasised that investors and financiers respond to predictability, ease of doing business, and confidence, all of which must be cultivated deliberately.
Alawuba called for a results-driven partnership model that brings government and the private sector together in a coordinated manner. He noted that the credibility of the Vision 2050 framework will depend on private-sector participation and long-term capital mobilisation. He reaffirmed UBA’s readiness, alongside Corporate Nigeria and the banking industry, to finance viable projects, support SMEs, and mobilise diaspora capital once the fundamentals are in place.
The forum, convened by the South-East Development Commission in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President, the Ministry of Regional Development, and South-East state governments, brought together a wide spectrum of stakeholders. Vice President Kashim Shettima, governors of the five South-East states, lawmakers, ministers, royal fathers, clergy, diplomats, and captains of industry were all present to deliberate on a shared pathway for the region’s future.
Alawuba’s intervention underscores the urgency of addressing the twin challenges of insecurity and inadequate infrastructure if the South-East is to attract sustainable investment. His remarks serve as a reminder that while policy frameworks and visions are important, they must be anchored in practical, bankable projects and a secure environment. For the South-East, the success of Vision 2050 will hinge on its ability to translate ambition into action and create conditions where capital, both domestic and foreign, can confidently flow.
