The South-East region of Nigeria, once a bastion of industrial might and intellectual prowess, is today grappling with a devastating crisis: the mass migration of its brightest minds and industrialists. As countless graduates and business leaders flee to Lagos, Abuja, and beyond in search of opportunities, the region is left with an eroding economic base and a dwindling pool of talent. The questions we must urgently answer are:
1. Why do our graduates have to move to Abuja and Lagos to seek jobs?
2. How do we keep these new graduates and industrialists in the South-East?
Until we confront these questions head-on, the South-East will remain trapped in a vicious cycle of underdevelopment, dependency, and despair.
The Push Factors: Why Our People Leave
The reasons for this exodus are glaring:
1. Lack of Infrastructure: Poor roads, erratic power supply, and substandard healthcare systems make the region unattractive for both businesses and residents.
2. Unemployment and Job Insecurity: South-East governors have done little to create jobs, leaving young graduates with no choice but to seek greener pastures elsewhere.
3. Insecurity: Rampant kidnappings, extortion, and political instability create an unsafe environment for investments and daily living.
4. Business Unfriendliness: High taxation, extortion by government agencies, and a lack of incentives stifle entrepreneurship.
5. Leadership Failure: Greed, self-service, and a beggarly dependency on federal allocations prevent visionary governance that prioritizes the people’s welfare.
The Consequences of Inaction
This outward outlook by South-East leaders is hollowing out the region:
Brain Drain: The best talents are enriching other regions while the South-East suffers a knowledge and skill gap.
Economic Decline: Without industries and businesses to generate revenue, the region remains reliant on federal handouts.
Social Decay: The loss of hope among young people fuels crime, drug abuse, and other societal ills.
Solutions: A Roadmap to Retain Talent and Revive the South-East
If the South-East is to rise again, its leaders must urgently adopt a new vision rooted in self-reliance, innovation, and people-oriented governance.
1. Create Job Opportunities
Industrial Clusters: Revive moribund industries and establish new ones tailored to local resources like palm oil, coal, and agriculture.
Tech Hubs: Invest in technology parks and incubation centers to nurture a new generation of digital entrepreneurs.
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): Attract private investments by providing tax holidays, reduced bureaucracy, and infrastructure support.
2. Build Critical Infrastructure
Prioritize road construction, power generation, and water supply to create an enabling environment for businesses.
Develop industrial parks with world-class facilities to attract local and foreign investors.
3. Address Insecurity
Strengthen local security outfits with community-based policing.
Collaborate with federal security agencies to tackle kidnapping and extortion.
4. Make the South-East Business-Friendly
Reduce multiple taxation and streamline regulatory processes.
Offer grants and soft loans to young entrepreneurs and startups.
5. Inspire Local Patriotism
Launch campaigns to encourage graduates and business leaders to “Think Home, Build Home.”
Recognize and celebrate successful South-Easterners who choose to invest and build in the region.
6. Adopt Inclusive Governance
Focus on development that directly impacts citizens, rather than engaging in self-serving politics.
Ensure transparency and accountability in public spending.
An Admonition to South-East Governors
The South-East does not lack the resources or the talent to thrive; it lacks visionary leadership. Our governors must abandon their outward-looking dependency on Abuja and focus on building the region from within. This beggarliness must stop. It is shameful that a region renowned for its industriousness and resourcefulness is reduced to handouts.
Instead of attending endless summits and foreign junkets, our leaders should sit down and answer the two critical questions:
1. Why do our graduates have to move to Abuja and Lagos to seek jobs?
2. How do we keep these new graduates back in the East?
Until these questions are answered and acted upon, the South-East will continue to bleed talent, wealth, and hope.
Conclusion: A Call to Action
The destiny of the South-East lies in our hands. Let this article serve as a rallying cry for all Igbos—graduates, business leaders, and ordinary citizens—to demand better from our leaders. The South-East is too rich in history, talent, and resources to remain a shadow of its former self.
If we want to curb the mass migration of our people, we must start now. Let us build a South-East that future generations will be proud to call home.
Share this article widely. Let us spark the conversation that will save our region.
By Hon. Duruebube Chimazuru Nnadi-Oforgu
OBLONG MEDIA UNLIMITED 
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