‘Invest in education, agriculture, health and technology’ – FOSAD
By Ime Silas
The Forum of South-East Academic Doctors, FOSAD, has called for a coordinated, four-pillar strategy to reposition the South-East for sustainable growth, insisting that the region’s future must be anchored on education, agriculture, healthcare and technology rather than rhetoric alone.
The position was contained in a 10-point communiqué issued at the close of FOSAD’s 2026 International Conference in Enugu on July 3, 2026. The two-day gathering, held July 2-3, brought together PhD holders, researchers, academics, policymakers and development experts from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states under the theme: “Reinvigorating South-East Nigeria Development through Sustainable Education, Agriculture, Health, and Technological Advancement.”
‘Our people, not oil, are the asset’
Opening the intellectual thrust of the conference, Chief Executive Officer of Educare, Mr. Alex Onyia, told delegates that Nigeria’s most valuable resource is human capital.
“The greatest asset Nigeria has is not oil; the greatest asset Nigeria has is its people,” Onyia declared in his keynote address.
He cited Singapore as proof of what deliberate investment in education can achieve. “Singapore of today is better than the Singapore of yesterday, whereas Nigeria of yesterday is better than Nigeria of today,” he remarked, warning that the region must reverse the trend.
Onyia said the South-East already has a comparative advantage in learning. “The mind is an endless source of wealth. The South-East believes in education, and if we fully capitalize on this comparative advantage, no region in Africa will surpass us.”
He argued that the era of Artificial Intelligence and the global knowledge economy leaves no room for outdated, theory-heavy systems. Universities, he said, must prioritize quality assurance and “decisively confront corruption” so that graduates can compete globally. “If we solve the problem of education, we will have solved the majority of our developmental challenges,” he stated.
Pointing to recent performances in national academic Olympiads, Onyia singled out Ebonyi State for significant improvement and expressed optimism that the South-East could become one of Nigeria’s strongest educational blocs within the next decade if current investments hold. He also urged elite private schools to support under-resourced public schools through teacher training, mentorship and equipment donations, and pushed for curriculum reforms that emphasize innovation and problem-solving.
Diaspora, entrepreneurship and Igbo Research Centres
Delivering the lead paper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Ebonyi State University, Professor Ike-Elechi Ogba, challenged FOSAD to move beyond annual conferences and produce a concrete development blueprint for the region and Nigeria.
He noted the outsized economic footprint of Igbo entrepreneurs and professionals at home and abroad. “Remove Igbos from Lagos, Northern Nigeria, the United Kingdom, South Africa and the United States, and the economies of those places would feel the impact,” he said.
Drawing lessons from South Korea’s rise, Ogba urged young scholars to acquire global knowledge and return home to build. He appealed to successful Igbo business leaders to invest heavily in South-East universities and described FOSAD as “the crème de la crème of education in the South-East” with a duty to provide intellectual leadership.
He also proposed the establishment of specialized Igbo Research Centres in universities across the region to drive indigenous scholarship, preserve cultural heritage and generate policy solutions rooted in local realities. Academics, he added, must engage government “with grace” because “we possess knowledge that should be used to serve society.”
Four pillars for transformation
In his welcome address, FOSAD President, Dr. Stephen Nwala, framed the conference around four strategic pillars: education, agriculture, healthcare and technology.
On education, he said the region must shift “from certificate acquisition to competence development” by expanding vocational education, digital literacy, research and innovation. “Educational institutions must prioritize the production of innovators, entrepreneurs and critical thinkers who will drive sustainable development over the next fifty years,” he said.
On agriculture, Nwala lamented that despite fertile land and a hardworking population, the South-East still imports foods that can be grown locally. He called for climate-smart farming, better finance, storage and agro-processing value chains to keep wealth in local communities, and for agriculture to be rebranded as a profitable business for educated youth.
For healthcare, he argued that growth is impossible without a healthy population, and canvassed more investment in primary care, maternal and child health, mental health services, and digital health tools for rural areas.
On technology, Nwala described innovation as the principal accelerator of development. “Innovation has the capacity to reduce production costs, expand economic opportunities and create entirely new industries,” he said, calling for digital infrastructure, innovation ecosystems and policies that turn young people into creators, not just consumers.
He stressed that the four sectors must not operate in silos. “Education, agriculture, health and technology must function as integrated components of a comprehensive regional development strategy,” he said, urging stronger collaboration among academics, government, the private sector and development partners.
State leadership and communiqué
The conference also conducted FOSAD State Chapter elections. The new chairmen are: Abia – Dr Kelechi Nwosu; Anambra – Dr Chidi Okoye; Ebonyi – Dr Clement Amagu; Enugu – Dr Blessing Agbo; and Imo – Glory Ifeyinwa Ibeawuchi.
The communiqué, signed by FOSAD Secretary-General, Dr. Uzor Ngoladi, adopted several resolutions. FOSAD will champion Igbo Research Centres across South-East tertiary institutions. It urged the Federal Government to fast-track the approval, funding and construction of a deep seaport in the South-East and asked the South-East Development Commission, SEDC, to make the project a flagship. The five state governments were asked to create a joint regional investment framework covering land, transport, rail and complementary facilities.
Other recommendations include prioritizing energy infrastructure for rural agro-processing zones; integrating mental health into primary care and expanding inclusion for persons with disabilities; using industrial clusters such as Nnewi as practical training hubs for youth entrepreneurship; and reforming basic education through play-based, creative pedagogy and teacher training.
In agriculture, the conference backed sack farming, organic livestock feeds and other indigenous practices to boost food security and reduce dependence on genetically modified products. For healthcare, it resolved on management reforms to improve service delivery, accessibility and efficiency.
With delegates departing Enugu, FOSAD said the next phase is implementation: turning resolutions into research, policy briefs and partnerships that can move the South-East from potential to performance.
