Why the South-East Must Stop Waiting For Permission To Industrialise
By OBIARAERI, Nnaemeka Onyeka
FOR too long, the South East has blamed “external forces” for its lack of a functioning river port, a massive international airport, and industrial transformation. But the truth is uncomfortable: no one is stopping us—except ourselves.
Our failure lies not in geography or federal neglect, but in a toxic mix of poor leadership, complicity, and docility. We repeatedly allow selfish and incompetent men and women to hold political power, and they use it not to build, but to line their pockets and reward their cronies.
The River Port Myth
Contrary to popular belief, Tin Can Island Port in Lagos is not a deep-sea port—it’s a river port. The same is true of Koko Port in Warri, where I personally worked as Ad hoc Executive Secretary of the Depot Owners Association. At Koko, large vessels of 30,000 tons berth after navigating a narrow 22–25 nautical mile river channel from the Atlantic Ocean.
If such infrastructure can be built and operated in Warri, why not in Orashi (Imo), Azumini (Abia), or Onitsha (Anambra)? These locations are no less viable. All it would take is dredging, desilting, shoreline protection, and the political will to embrace public-private partnerships (PPPs).
Indeed, our own brother, Dr. Ernest Obiejesi (Obijackson), already owns some of the largest dredging equipment in the country—formerly belonging to Julius Berger. The expertise and tools exist. What’s missing is vision and commitment.
Global Examples, Local Possibilities
Consider Manaus, Brazil. This city, located about 1,450 km from the Atlantic Ocean, developed a thriving river port along the Amazon. Today, it’s a free trade zone and industrial hub, accessible to massive ocean-going vessels thanks to deliberate dredging and infrastructure investment.
Compared to that, the South East’s distance from the Atlantic is minimal. The cost-benefit analysis is clear: with ports, we could import raw materials, export finished goods, and kickstart industrialisation across Ala Igbo.
The Real Obstacle: Failed Leadership
Let’s be honest—no president has ever blocked the South East from developing. Jonathan, with Ndi Igbo at the heart of his administration, did not stop our governors. Buhari and Tinubu haven’t either. Federal allocations flow into our states regularly. What happens to them?
Instead of mobilising diaspora resources, ring-fencing projects under PPPs, and building transformative infrastructure like rail networks and ports, our leaders squander opportunities. Meanwhile, Lagos has successfully partnered with the private sector to build the Lekki and Badagry deep-sea ports.
The bitter truth: the South East remains stuck because it has been ruled by men of low ambition, low intellect, and low competence.
Complicity of the People
Worse still, insecurity in our region—fueled by misguided groups chanting “no referendum, no election”—provides the perfect cover for electoral fraud. It is our own people, Ndi Igbo, who serve as corrupt electoral officers, falsifying results and entrenching the same failed leaders who keep Ala Igbo in darkness.
We cannot continue to blame outsiders while tolerating this destructive cycle.
The Path Forward
What we need are leaders with creativity, integrity, and vision—leaders in the mould of Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara and Dee Sam Mbakwe. They transformed the East in their time and proved what determined leadership can achieve.
The South East can still become the Singapore of Africa. But it will not happen through wishful thinking or endless excuses. It will happen only when we demand accountability, reject incompetent politicians, and mobilise the vast human and financial resources of Ndi Igbo toward real development.
Until then, we will remain where we are: a region with immense potential, held hostage not by “external forces,” but by our own leaders and the people who enable them.
