By Paul Effiong, Abuja
South East Development Commission, SEDC, has announced the grand finale of the inaugural South East Venture Capital Programme, SEVCP, Pitch Competition.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Executive Director of Finance of the commission and Chairman of the SEVCP, Stanley Ohajuruka.
The event, according to the statement, is scheduled to hold on May 25 and 26 at the International Conference Centre in Enugu State.
According to Ohajuruka, the two-day event comprises of the Finals Day, as well as Investment Ceremony which are aimed at deepening startup financing and strengthening the venture capital ecosystem across the region.
He disclosed that the initiative represents one of the region’s most ambitious public-sector commitments to startup investment and innovation financing.
He explained that: “The South East Venture Capital Programme is a flagship initiative aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, particularly the administration’s focus on creating innovative financing mechanisms to support local startups and improve investors confidence.
The programme, he explained was carefully designed to move beyond fragmented interventions by creating a more structured and credible investment ecosystem that combines venture capital funding, enterprise development and institutional partnerships.
The statement also revealed that since applications opened on March 13, the programme has received more than 1,200 entries from technology-enabled ventures operating within or serving the South-East market.
The applications were subjected to a multi-stage, merit-based evaluation process across the Accelerator and Incubation tracks, with 50 ventures eventually emerging as finalists.
The selected startups are expected to participate in an intensive week-long bootcamp focused on pitch preparation and investment readiness ahead of the competition finale.
On May 25, the finalists will present their business ideas before a panel of investors and sector experts, after which 30 ventures will be selected across both tracks for investment support.
Ohajuruka also noted that the programme offers a platform for direct engagement between emerging businesses, investors and policy leaders, while also signalling a broader push toward coordinated long-term investment in the productive capacity of the South-East region.
