Chief Osita Chidoka, former minister of aviation, has called on Nigerians and the international community to look beyond negative narratives about the south-east, saying the region remains open for business, travel, and communal life.
In a message shared on Saturday, Chidoka said societies should not be defined solely by their most challenging moments, adding that everyday realities across eastern Nigeria present a more accurate and hopeful picture.
“No society is defined only by its hardest moments. What matters is how people continue to live, return home, and find joy despite them,” he said.
Chidoka cited the massive movement of people into the region during the Christmas and year-end festivities as evidence of stability, resilience, and social cohesion.
He said millions of easterners travelled home to reunite with family members and participate in social and economic activities.
According to him, bustling markets, busy motor parks, active highways, and vibrant social gatherings across the south-east reflected a return to normalcy and the strength of everyday life.
From Aba to Awka, Onitsha to Nsukka, Abakaliki to Owerri, Chidoka said the December economy recorded seasonal highs across trade, transport, hospitality, and informal commerce.
He described the south-east as a major driver of national enterprise whose economic vitality remains intact.
Chidoka said beyond economic indicators, the daily choices of communities across the region show a commitment to unity, continuity, and progress rather than fear or retreat.
“What I see are people choosing community, resilience, and joy in motion,” he said.
Using the hashtag #EastIsOpen, Chidoka called for a reframing of the south-east narrative to reflect present-day realities rather than isolated incidents.
He also highlighted the strengths of individual states using the hashtags #AdmirableAbia, #AmazingAnambra, #EndearingEbonyi, #ExcitingEnugu, and #InvitingImo.
Chidoka said the region’s long history of absorbing shocks and rebounding through enterprise, kinship networks, and mobility was again demonstrated by the festive influx of residents and visitors.
He said the message serves as reassurance to citizens and the diaspora, and as an invitation to investors, partners, and policymakers.
“The East is alive, moving, and open for good. It is ready to tell its own story,” Chidoka said.
He added that as Nigeria pursues economic recovery and sustainable growth, the resilience and vibrancy of eastern Nigeria position the region as a key contributor to national development.
