The group managing director and chief executive of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Oliver Alawuba, has urged political leaders and key stakeholders in Nigeria’s South-East to prioritise peace and security, warning that no development blueprint can succeed without a stable environment.
Alawuba also called for accelerated infrastructure delivery and the creation of investment-ready projects capable of attracting long-term capital and unlocking the region’s economic potential.
According to a statement, he made the remarks during the South-East Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholder Forum held on Wednesday at the International Conference Centre in Enugu.
The forum, which focused on advancing the South-East Vision 2050 development framework, was convened by the South-East Development Commission in collaboration with the office of the vice-president, the ministry of regional development and the governments of the South-East states.
Speaking in his dual role as UBA’s chief executive and chairman of the Body of Banks’ chief executive officers, Alawuba described peace and security as the most urgent condition for attracting investment.
“The first thing the South-East needs is peace. It is an established fact worldwide that investments flow in the direction of safety,” he said, urging regional leaders to sustain coordinated efforts to secure lives, assets and infrastructure.
He said the success of the Vision 2050 agenda would depend not only on ambition but on the region’s ability to present clear, measurable and commercially viable projects that could compete for investment.
“Vision alone is not enough. The South-East must present specific, bankable projects with defined impact that can unlock investment, create jobs, and deliver real improvements in the lives of our people,” he said.
Alawuba called for a stronger, results-driven partnership between government and the private sector, arguing that investor confidence is built on predictable policies, ease of doing business and consistency in governance.
He commended governors in the region for progress in road construction and other infrastructure initiatives but urged them to accelerate delivery, particularly in power supply, transportation networks and digital connectivity.
“Infrastructure is the bedrock of development. We have seen improvements, but more is required in areas such as reliable power, motorable roads, rail, water, and digital connectivity to remove the bottlenecks limiting productivity and competitiveness,” he said.
The UBA chief also stressed the need to unlock diaspora capital and create a genuinely investor-friendly environment, assuring stakeholders that the banking industry and the wider corporate sector would support projects that meet global investment standards.
“If we get the fundamentals right, Corporate Nigeria and the banking industry will rally round to finance viable projects, support SMEs, create jobs for our youth, and mobilise long-term capital to make South-East Vision 2050 a reality,” he said.
He reaffirmed UBA’s willingness to partner with the South-East Development Commission and state governments, adding that sustained private-sector involvement would boost the credibility and investability of the Vision 2050 framework.
The forum was attended by senior government officials and stakeholders, including Vice-President Kashim Shettima, governors of the five South-East states, members of the National Assembly, traditional rulers, religious leaders, diplomats, captains of industry and development partners.
