UBA GMD/ CEO advocates security, bankable projects, others to promote Southeast Vision

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Oliver Alawuba, has called on leaders and key stakeholders in the Southeast to prioritise security and peace, infrastructure development and the delivery of bankable, investment-ready projects.

This, according to him, is critical if the Southeastern region of the country is to unlock its long-term development agenda under the South-East Vision 2050 (S8V2050).

Alawuba made the call while delivering a goodwill remark at the Southeast Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholder Forum which was held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu on Wednesday.

The multi-day forum was convened by the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President, the Ministry of Regional Development and the South-East State Governments, to build consensus around a shared development pathway for the region and advance implementation-ready interventions aligned with national priorities.

Speaking in his capacity as GMD/CEO as well as the Chairman of the Body of Banks’ CEOs and on behalf of Corporate Nigeria, Alawuba identified peace and security as the most urgent requirement for attracting investment into the region, noting that safety remains the first signal investors assess before committing capital.

“The first thing the Southeast needs is peace. It is an established fact, world over, that investments flow in the direction of safety,” Alawuba stated, urging state governments and regional leaders to sustain coordinated efforts to secure lives, assets and infrastructure.

He also challenged stakeholders to adopt a results-driven partnership model between government and the private sector; just as he noted that the success of the South-East Vision 2050 will largely depend on the region’s ability to articulate and package clear, measurable and value-adding projects capable of attracting long-term capital.