Benjamin Kalu South-East development gains praised as the Deputy Speaker urges regional support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Benjamin Kalu South-East development has become a central talking point as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives urged the region to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, citing visible progress under his administration.
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Speaking on Sunday during the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Partners in Ukwa West, Abia State, Kalu said the “story of the South-East” was changing positively, with new investments in infrastructure, energy, agriculture, education, and governance inclusion.
He highlighted the creation of the South-East Development Commission as a defining achievement, explaining that the commission, established in July 2024 and backed by a governing board, would drive a $1 billion regional asset base through the government’s “Triple-R” agenda.
Kalu also pointed to the revival of the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri rail line—linking Aba, Onitsha, Enugu, and Nsukka—as a transformative project expected to unlock over ₦50 billion in annual trade. He added that ongoing gas pipeline construction across the zone was boosting the region’s industrial potential.
The Benjamin Kalu South-East development push, he said, also includes the approval of a ₦150 billion South-East Investment Company to accelerate industrialisation, alongside the proposed Lekki–Aba–Onitsha–Maiduguri Road Corridor aimed at improving logistics and commerce.
“Our region is beginning to feel the touch of inclusion, investment, and renewed hope,” Kalu declared, noting that President Tinubu was “deliberately ensuring that the South-East takes its rightful place in the national journey of growth.”
He announced plans to establish Renewed Hope Councils in every local government area across the South-East to oversee grassroots delivery of federal projects in partnership with the new development commission.
Ongoing projects, he added, include the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates housing scheme, the expansion of gas facilities in Imo, and the NCDMB industrial parks in Abia and Imo, which enable local manufacturing for the oil and gas sector.
Under the Federal Government’s energy transition plan, the rollout of Compressed Natural Gas infrastructure across Onitsha, Aba, and Enugu is projected to save up to ₦2 trillion monthly in fuel imports.
In agriculture, large-scale farms are being developed across Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu under a 10-million-hectare initiative supported by international partners from the United States, Belarus, and Brazil.
Education reforms have also taken root, with ₦45.6 billion in student loans disbursed to South-East beneficiaries and ₦50 billion more expected from recovered funds. Renewed Hope Skills Centres are planned for Abia and Anambra to equip artisans and apprentices.
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Kalu reaffirmed that the Benjamin Kalu South-East development agenda reflects a clear federal vision for regional advancement, urging residents to unite behind President Tinubu’s leadership as the nation moves toward its next political cycle.
