The numbers don’t lie — but sometimes, they slap hard.
In Q1 2025, Nigeria recorded over $5.6 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Lagos took the lion’s share. Abuja grabbed the rest. The South-East? Zilch. Not a dime. Not even pocket change.
Let that sink in.
This isn’t just another bad quarter. This is a cold-blooded reminder that the region once dubbed Nigeria’s industrial nerve centre is fast becoming an investment desert.
Where Are The Tigers?
In the 1980s and ‘90s, towns like Nnewi and Aba had the swagger of mini-Shenzhens. Nnewi earned the nickname “Japan of Africa” for churning out spare parts and assembling motorcycles with the precision of a Swiss watch. Aba’s Made-in-Aba market fed an entire ecosystem of textile and leather industries.
Fast forward to 2025 and the roar is gone. What you hear now is silence. Deafening, expensive silence.
You’d think a region with a tech-savvy population, massive diaspora capital, and historical industrial clout would be the first port of call for investors. Instead, they’re watching the billions zoom past — to Lagos, to Abuja, to anywhere but home.
This Ain’t Bad Luck. It’s Bad Leadership.
The South-East governors didn’t lose a bidding war. They never showed up to the table. No unified investment desk. No infrastructure incentives. No policy clarity. No marketing. No cohesive plan to woo capital. Just empty talk and ribbon-cutting.
While Lagos is busy setting up Lekki Deep Seaport, building rail corridors, and hosting global business expos, the South-East is hosting praise-singers and party loyalists.
Abuja, meanwhile, is positioning itself as a tech hub, attracting startup capital and regulatory sandbox opportunities. Anambra or Imo could have done the same. But when politics overshadows performance, everyone loses.
The Money Has Eyes — and Memory
Investors aren’t tourists. They don’t visit where they’re not invited. And they don’t stay where there’s no security, transparency, or vision.
In 2013, Innoson Motors, Nigeria’s first indigenous car manufacturer, was hailed as the future of African auto manufacturing. A decade later, the company still battles power supply issues and regulatory hostility — in its own backyard.
Tech hubs like Roar Nigeria in UNN and Genesys Tech Hub in Enugu showed promise. But without government support, they struggle for scale.
The world is moving at the speed of data. The South-East is stuck in committee meetings.
Time to Wake Up — or Get Left Behind
This isn’t just about dollars and cents. It’s about jobs, innovation, dignity, and survival.
Leadership must stop playing regional politics and start playing global economics. Partner with diaspora investors. Rebrand the region. Build roads. Guarantee power. Secure the streets. Roll out red carpets, not red tape.
Because next quarter, the money will move again.
And if nothing changes, the South-East won’t just miss out —
it may be written off.
Written By Linus Anagboso.
Tech| Columnist | Strategic Digital Communicator.
