Israel Umoh
The controversies, intrigues and endless delays that have trailed the take-off of Ibom Deep Seaport in Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom State are more like fairytale and nightmare.
Conceived by Akwa Ibom ex-Governor Victor Attah with lofty promises more than 21 years ago to transform Nigeria’s Maritime economy and become a major shipping hub, the project has become a symbol of bureaucratic bottlenecks, political grandstanding and unfulfilled expectations.
From the flimsy name change to location argument, the much-touted project remains on the drawing board with buck-passing, leaving prospective investors and major stakeholders to continue wallowing in the sea of uncertainty.
Forum Supports Ibaka Deep Sea Port, not Dugout Port
As the controversies and intrigues trail the speedy take-off of the project, Open Forum has called on Akwa Ibom Government to ignore Dugout Port, but return to the preferred Okposo near Ibaka Bay in Mbo Local Government Area.
The organization described the recommendation by Felak Concept Limited for a Dugout Port against Ibaka Bay as fraudulent, expressing fear that the development of Dugout Port would require dredging.
You read: Ibom Deep Seaport Approval: We need more Clarity- Analyst
Addressing journalists in his office at the weekend, Mr. Matthew Koffi Okono, the Forum President, expressed worry that virtually all the issues that militated against the actualisation of the Deep Seaport are unresolved till date.
”These are; the question of location that goes with Ibaka being a natural Deep Seaport, not requiring dredging and the alternative being a Dugout Port
‘‘Secondly is the issue of name. As much as this may not being an issue if Akwa Ibom desires to have only one Seaport, otherwise, in the tradition of maritime business, Ports are traditionally named after their locations.’’
According to him, ‘‘We believe the change of name in this case was due to the relocation. That can easily be addressed with a simple reverse, if the port is developed at Ibaka. It can also be known as Ibom Deep Seaport, Ibaka or wherever a truly Deep Seaport will be located. Meanwhile, if Akwa Ibom is to develop multiple Seaports like Lagos, why the insistence on Ibom as the brand name? What would a second port in Akwa Ibom be called?’’
Okono charged the Akwa Ibom Government and the Implementation Committee led by Barr. Mrs Mfon Usoro to brief Akwa Ibom people on measures taken to address the issue of the location of the Port, saying ‘‘It is nature that determines the location of ports globally, not politics or sentiments.
‘‘Secondly, host communities are critical stakeholders in any development process. Denying host communities the opportunity to be carried along in such a massive project that will most likely displace thousands of people across multiple council areas is a plan to fail.
‘‘Lastly, it is common knowledge that the Akwa Ibom State Government and the Federal Government are to have 20% equity participation each in the port while the core investor has 60%, the question that must be addressed is: what is the role of the Federal Government Development and Steering Committee for the Ibaka Deep Seaport? Nothing has been heard since the reported withdrawal of the federal government during the relocation controversies.’’
Controversy in Name Change and location
The Federal Ministry of Transport appointed Felak Concept Limited and Maritime and Transport Business Solutions BV – MBTS as Transaction Advisers.
Reports had it that in January 2013, some development and policy analysts said the consultants submitted their final report on the project.
You also read: ‘I will give you Ibom Deep Seaport’- Gov Eno Recalls Tinubu’s Pledge
The Forum quoted a report by a publication by Asuquo Anwana, a New York-based former two-time National President of Oron Development Union Inc., USA in his article titled; “IBAKA DEEP SEAPORT: THE QUESTIONABLE CONSULTANCY OF FELAK CONCEPT LTD”
The Forum called on the government to maintain the name: Ibaka Deep Sea Port against Ibom Deep Sea Port adopted by the government.
When MKO Speaks with Akwa Ibom link Man
Speaking with Chief Monday Udoekong, the Akwa Ibom-born link man to the foreign investors that were to develop the Ibaka Deep Seaport at Mbo LGA.
‘‘Chief Monday Udoekong flew in from Lagos for a meeting with me at a hotel located at Atiku Abubakar Way, Uyo. It was followed up with a meeting at his country home at Abak LGA where I was privileged to see certain documents concerning the port.
‘‘After much persuasion, Chief Udoekong accepted to be my live studio guest on Open Forum with Citizen MKO on Passion 94.5FM, Uyo. The conversation was highly revealing and troubling. The details shall be a subject on another day, if and when occasion demands,’’ he narrated.
Deep Seaport as initiated by Attah
The Victor Attah administration initiated the Ibaka Deep Seaport Project based on the expression of interest for a PPP arrangement by a team of foreign investors, Mr Tunis and Mr Berg led by Akwa Ibom-born Chief Monday Udoekong.
It was a private sector driven investment; Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with the full support, approval and involvement of the Attah administration.
The Akwa Ibom Government conceived the Oil and Gas Industrial Processing/Free Trade Zone (IPFTZ) known largely as Ibom Industrial City at Ibaka to complement the Ibaka Deep Seaport.
The concept for the Ibaka Deep Seaport and Ibom Industrial City (ICC) at Ibaka was not politically or ethnically motivated, but was a product of a master planner.
Ibaka Deep Seaport was envisioned as a transformational natural deep seaport with 18m depth without dredging, a rare location in Nigeria and West Africa.
The Federal Executive Council under former President Muhammadu Buhari had since December 2020 granted the final approval for commencement of construction, the State having also had a preferred bidder, Bollore Logistics of France.
At the end of his tenure on May 29, 2007, a Certificate of Occupancy is said to have been given to the foreign investor, amongst other milestones.
The Ibaka Deep Seaport suffered serious setbacks for the original core investors. Chief Udoekong made us to understand that the state government and the core investors could not proceed with the original vision. The natter ended up in court. The investors lost and one of them reportedly committed suicide thereafter.
Enter ex-Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio, who announced that a Chinese firm, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) was set to partner the Akwa Ibom State Government on the development of the Ibaka Seaport project.
As reported in Akwa Ibom State Government Finance News of September 2011, the Managing Director of CCECC, Mr. Shi Hong Bing led the management team of the firm to present an architectural design of the Ibaka Deep Seaport to Gov Akpabio in Abuja.
Mr Bing stated that the Speaker of the Chinese Parliament would visit Nigeria from September 18 – 20, 2011 and looked forward to using the visit as a platform for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the project to facilitate the sourcing of finance from financial institutions.
‘’The first phase of the project is estimated to cost about $3b so we need more investors to partner CCECC and Akwa Ibom State Government to make the project a reality,” said Mr Shi Hong Bing.
In his response, Governor Akpabio was quoted to have restated his commitment to the actualisation of the Ibaka Deep Seaport project. He also expressed the hope that a substantial part of the project would be completed before he left office in 2015 as reported in the Finance News of September 2011 at Page 42 in a report titled: “Akwa Ibom, Chinese Firm to Partner on Ibaka Seaport.”
On September 18, 2012, the ex-President Goodluck Jonathan administration, through then Transport Minister, Senator Idris Umar inaugurated the Federal Government Project Development and Steering Committee for the proposed Ibaka Deep Seaport.
The Minister of Transport announced the appointment of Dr. Iorwuese Viashima, a Director in the Ministry of Transport as the Chairman of the Ibaka Deep Seaport Steering Committee.
He reiterated Jonathan’s commitment to developing new port infrastructure to support Nigeria’s expanding maritime and commercial activities. “Mr President attaches great importance to this project,” Senator Umar said.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Chairman of the Federal Government Project Development and Steering Committee for Ibaka Deep Seaport, Dr Iorwuese Viashima said “The Ibaka Deep Seaport in Akwa Ibom State is to be developed by the Federal Government, the Akwa Ibom State Government, in partnership with private investors under Public-Private Partnership, to accommodate the high volume of cargo generated through international maritime trade and to attend the status of maritime hub for West and Central Africa.”
“The port location which is an integral part of Ibom Industrial City and an important milestone in the development of Akwa Ibom State offers unparalleled opportunities in Maritime and oil and gas related productions.”
“The site will also accommodate dry docking facilities for super tanker vessels and offers lower cost access to both offshore oil and gas fields.”
“We want to assure you that with your support, we will deliver and make sure that this project comes to fruition within the time frame given to us.” That again, was Dr. Viashima, Chairman of the Federal Government-Led Ibaka Deep Seaport Development and Steering Committee speaking at the inauguration of the committee by the Transport Minister, Sen Idris Umar on September 18, 2012. The video of the event can be sourced online, including the news broadcast by Channels TV online.
The Federal Government’s Steering Committee was mandated to coordinate project planning and development; supervise technical and feasibility assessments; develop the Outline Business Case (OBC); structure the project under a PPP framework; facilitate investor engagement and guide procurement processes leading to project delivery.
Report by former New York ODU President
Thereafter, the Federal Ministry of Transport appointed Felak Concept Limited and Maritime and Transport Business Solutions BV – MBTS as Transaction Advisers.
In January 2013, the consultants submitted a final report on the project:
“Document Title – Initial Due Diligence for Ibaka Deep-Sea Port and Free Trade Zone; Document Status – Final; Companies – Felak Concept Limited and Maritime and Transport Business Solutions B.V – MBTS; Date – January 2013; Project Name – Ibaka Deep-Sea Port and Free Trade Zone; Client – Federal Ministry of Transport”
The Due Diligence Report executed under the Federal Government Project Delivery Team was said to have had the following ratings for the selection of the preferred location out of four (4) locations considered:
“The Preferred Site tagged “Okposo” near Tom Shot Island and Ibaka came 1st with a score of 2.5 points; Tom Shot Island came 2nd with a score of 2.2 points; West Point came 3rd with the score of 2.0 points; while Seaside (Ibeno) came 4th with the score of 1.8 points.”
This was contained in the article entitled: “IBAKA DEEP SEAPORT: THE QUESTIONABLE CONSULTANCY OF FELAK CONCEPT LTD” published by Asuquo Anwana, a New York-based former two-time National President of Oron Development Union Inc., USA.
In the article, Mr Anwana stated that the same company on 26 May 2014 issued another OBC where according to him, “the Consultant invoked spurious, and ambiguous parameters for a fresh site selection without any reference to the Site Evaluation in the Due Diligence Report of January 2013 earlier produced and circulated by Felak Concept…”
“The Oron people have severally contested the obvious relocation of Ibaka Deep Seaport from its preferred location. The reason has been hinged on the double standards of the consulting firm, FELAK CONCEPT LTD. It is shocking how a reputable engineering consulting firm could produce a report of a diligent study for the construction of a project like a Deep Seaport, only to vary same in 13 months. As a stakeholder in Òrò, I am constrained by negative developments degenarating therefrom to once again lay bare these details. As a former two term National President of Oron Development Union Inc. USA, it makes no sense to me, keeping quiet in times like this.”
“Putting it mildly, it is easy to spot the truth by the way it feels. In 2013, Felak Concept Limited of 3B Rudlf Close, off Katsina Ala Street, Maitama, Abuja issued a Due Diligence Report for Ibaka Deep Sea Port with details as follows: Document Title: “Initial Due Diligence for Ibaka Deep Sea Port and Free Trade Zone”; Document Status: “Final”; Company: “Felak Concept Limited and Maritime & AMP; Transport Business Solutions B.V.-MTBS; Date: “January 2013”; Project Name: “Ibaka Deep Sea Port and Free Trade Zone”; Client: “Federal Ministry of Transport.” See attached Picture No1 for details.”
“In the Due Diligence Report, which is the Report of Studies carried out under the auspices of the Project Delivery Team set up by the Ministerial Steering Committee to drive the Ibaka Deep Sea Project, the following parameters were adopted to select the most suitable site for the Deep Sea Port. Thus: “Dredging Works”, “Breakwater Construction”, “Land Development”, “Hinterland Connections”, and “Expandability.”
“These are globally recognised factors for location of Sea Ports. Logical procedure was used to access selected locations with results as follows: the Preferred Site tagged “Okposo” near Tom Shot Island and Ibaka came 1st with a score of 2.5 points; Tom Shot Island came 2nd with a score of 2.2 points; West Point came 3rd with the score of 2.0 points; while Seaside (Ibeno) came 4th with the score of 1.8 points.”
“The Due Diligence Report also advised that since Okposo the Preferred Location is close to Tom Shot Island which also scored high, the two sites could be merged as a single site for high future expandability. In comparative cost projections for selected sites carried out during Due Diligence Studies, the Preferred Location returned the lowest cost.”
“Based on the “Final” Due Diligence Report, Felak Concept Limited issued the following documents: Project Name: “Ibaka Deep Sea Port and Free Trade Zone”; Document Title: “Final Outline Business Case. Final OBC Outline Report”; Document Status: “Final”; Company: “Felak Concept Limited and Maritime & AMP; Transport Business Solutions B.V.-MTBS”; Date: “24 April 2013”; Client: “Steering Committee on Ibaka Deep Seaport”. See Pictures No 2 for details.”
“In this OBC dated 24th April, Costs Estimations, Financial Modelling, Land Acquisition, Environmental and Social Impact assessment, Architectural Model, and all other projections were based on the “Okposo” site as the preferred location for the Deep Sea Port. It should be noted that as at 2013, Ibaka Deep Sea Port and Free Trade Zone was a Federal Government Project while Ibom Industrial City (IIC) was a State Government Project.”
“In 2014, the same FELAK CONCEPT LIMITED again, issued the following documents: Project Name: “Ibom Deep Sea Port and Free Trade Zone”; Document Title: “Outline Business Case”; Document Status: “Final”; Company: “Felak Concept Limited and Maritime & AMP; Transport Business Solutions B.V.-MTBS”; Date: “26 May 2014″; Client: Steering Committee on Ibom Deep Sea Port”. See Picture No 3 for details.”*
“In this new OBC, the Consultants invoked very spurious, and ambiguous parameters for a fresh site selection without any reference to the Site Evaluation in the Due Diligence Report of January 2013 earlier produced and circulated by Felak Concept. These spurious criteria are as follows: “Site must be part of Ibom Industrial City”; “Location should comply with the requirement as established in the technical programme of requirements”; “Site must be close to Deep Sea Trade Route”; Site must provide ample space for Design Variation”; “Time to market should be minimised”; “Risk must be minimised”; “Investment cost must be minimised”; and “Social Impact must be minimized.”
“The Consultants then went on to manipulate Plus Signs “+” and Minus Signs “-“ to conjure Seaside (Ibeno) which came 4th in its earlier assessment to now come 1st as the best location with Seven Plus Signs. Meanwhile, “Okposo” which came 1st as the Preferred Location became rejected with Two Minus Signs.”
“When one considers that Environmental and Social Impact assessment had already been approved for the Deep Sea Port at the Preferred Location at “Okposo” and that the Preferred Location had the lowest cost estimates in comparative cost assessment during Due Diligence Studies, then the dubiousness of this second assessment is crystal clear.”
“The Due Diligence Studies and Report of January 2013 was commissioned by the Federal Government to ensure Ibaka Deep Sea Port was developed based on well founded principles and information and the Final OBC of April 2013 was based on this Due Diligence Report. It is expected that the Federal Government who was the Client paid Felak Concept adequately for the Due Diligence Studies/Report.We are not aware of any other Due Diligence Studies/Report other than that of January 2013. We are therefore at a loss, where and how Felak Concept came by its 2nd dubious assessment report in the OBC dated May 26th 2014.”
“No reputable Consultant will carry out a Study and issue a Report on a Subject with Recommendations and 13 months later issue another Report on the same subject, without making any reference to its earlier report, but with recommendations that totally contradicts its earlier recommendations This is unacceptable in any sane system.”
“What any reputable Consultant could have done was to issue a Revision of its 1st Location Assessment Report, if there was any reason to do so. Felak Concept Ltd did not do that. Their action has left very probable indication that they were possibly induced by Ethnic Politicians in Akwa Ibom State to manufacture strange criteria for a fraudulent second location assessment to change the location of the Deep Sea Port to Ibeno.”
“By this action, Felak Concept Limited has made its credibility as a reputable Consultant in Nigeria questionable. It is this type of action by some unconscionable Consultants who would recommend anything their political pay masters tell them to recommend that have contributed to the high numbers of failed Government Projects in Nigeria. Felak Concept Limited owes a debt to its reputation and Akwa Ibom people and Government to come clean on the glaring duplicity which has informed its actions as cited above.”
“It is unbelievable that any Consultant would recommend the commencement of a Port Developments with a Dugout Port. Commonsense should have informed them that this makes no sense. After digging out your 1st Port, how do you expand in future? You keep digging? A dugout port should be the very last resort for Port expansion when there is no shoreline left in the initial Port location. We are therefore calling on the Government of Akwa Ibom State to ignore the 2nd fraudulent location assessment by Felak Concept Limited and their Dugout Port and return the Deep Sea Port to the Preferred Location at Okposo near Ibaka Bay which was produced by a technically sound 1st location assessment done during Due Diligence Studies.”
“If this is not done, the Deep Sea Port is sure to join the long list of Government Projects which have failed or performed badly because political considerations were given priority over technical and economic considerations in their establishments.”
Mr Anwana’s report shows the relocation was contained in the second report by Felak. It also contained the name change from Ibaka to Ibom Deep Seaport.
The Governor Udom Emmanuel choice of Industrialisation and his administration’s adoption of the mantra built-in to the Dakkada Philosophy gave hope that Ibaka Deep Seaport would be completed in phases.
In 2017, Gov Udom Emmanuel appointed Barr. Mfon Usoro, former Managing Director of NIMASSA as the Chairman of the Ibom Deep Seaport Development and Implementation Committee.
Things became controversial when issues concerning the name, which was now said to be “Ibom” not “Ibaka”, and the location widely rumoured to have been moved, first from Ibaka to Ibeno LGA, thereafter to a location called Unyenghe in Mbo LGA.
The people of Oron nation set up the Oron Technical Committee for the Development of the Seaport chaired by the Chief Engr. Nkpubre Okon Nkpubre, former Managing Director of Nigerdock.
The Udom Emmanuel administration in December 2020 secured the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval for the commencement of the construction of the Deep Seaport with Bollore Logistics of France as the preferred bidder.
You also read: Consortium Plans to Invest $8 billion in Ibom Deep Seaport
The administration of Udom Emmanuel could not proceed with the project, as according to him, the people of Oron scared the core investor away through petitions.
Hold Oron people responsible on Ibom Seaport- Emmanuel Cries
Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel at the weekend, told the people of the State to hold Oron people responsible if he fails to construct the Ibom Deep Seaport.
The Governor made the statement during a State – wide “Phone – In” programme on Radio and Television stations, as part of the activities marking the State’s anniversary.
But, in a swift response, the Oron people fired back, accusing the Governor of insincerity, ethnic bias and engaging in policy summersaults.
Governor Emmanuel had accused the people of the area of being responsible for the delay in the take – off of the project.
“Hold Oron people responsible if I can’t construct the seaport.
“They have written a lot of petitions that have driven investors away”, and we authoritatively gathered that, Power China a supposed investor pulled out of the project owing to this uncertainty.
“The problem we have with Ibom Deep seaport is that the people of Oron wrote a lot of petitions.
“Ibom is a brand name, we should enjoy brand equity but they have written petitions and driven our investors away. If I leave office without achieving that project, hold them responsible, not me.”
But the people of Oron did not take kindly to the Governor’s remarks, accusing the State government of discriminatory practices, insincerity and policy summersaults.
They also condemned attempts to relocate the Deep Seaport project to Ibeno and accused Gov. Emmanuel’s administration of ethnic discrimination in the sitting of infrastructural projects in the State.
You’re insincere, discriminatory, Oron people fire back
Chairman of Oron Nation Technical Committee on Ibaka Deep Seaport, Engr. Okon Nkpubre, also gave reasons why Oron communities opposed the project, wondering why a littoral State like Akwa Ibom surrounded by water and endowed with Ibaka Bay; a harbour, would be contemplating to dig out an artificial ocean for a deep sea port.
Engr. Nkpubre, who is a former MD/CEO of Nigerdock Plc said, “it is not true that Oron Nation drove away investors from Ibom Deep Sea Port. What Oron Nation has done is to unveil unassailable facts and figures about the Deep Sea Port to allow all concerned, including intending investors judge for themselves whether the relocation of the Deep Sea Port from the preferred location and the contemplation of a Dugout Port, make any sense.
“Oron Nation deserves to be appreciated for maintaining the peace in the face of intense provocation due to blatant acts of discriminations by the Government of Akwa Ibom State.
“For instance, Ibaka Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone (FTZ) was conceptualized to be in Mbo Local Government Area of Oron Nation which produces the bulk of Oil accruing to Akwa Ibom State.
“Ibaka was in the list of Free Trade Zones awaiting approval for about the past ten years. Later the whole world was told that Liberty Free Trade Zone was a nick name for Ibaka Free Trade Zone.
“And when Ibaka FTZ was finally given approval, the name was changed to Liberty FTZ. But, with utmost impunity and insensitivity to the feelings of Oron People, not even an inch of the area previously covered by Ibaka FTZ is included in Liberty FTZ.
“Not even one LGA of Oron Nation including Mbo which was the host of Ibaka FTZ, is included in the six LGAs covered by Liberty FTZ. One may ask, why is Liberty FTZ not branded Ibom FTZ?
“The Government of Akwa Ibom State has been very unfair to the Oron Nation and insensitive to the feelings of Oron People concerning the handling of Ibaka Deep Sea Port and Free Trade Zone projects, including the fact that, of all the much talked about industrialisation of Akwa Ibom State by Governor Udom Emmanuel, not even one of the industries is sited in any of the five LGAs of the Oron Nation.
“One would have expected that Udom Emmamuel, after becoming Governor in the place of an Oron person, would be more sensitive to the plight of Oron people. But the reverse is the case. This is a classic case of adding salt to injury.
“We must be reminded that there is God above who, unquestionably presides over the affairs of men. Therefore men should desist from acting as if they were God.
“In spite of all attempts to deprive Oron Nation the benefits of its rich maritime environment, it is very heart-warming for Oron people that an Ocean Vessel, 160 meters long, fully loaded with 15,000 tonnes of petroleum products, at a draft of 8 meters recently landed at a dredged creek near Ibaka Bay in the Oron Nation.
Key vocal voices like Chief Engr. Nkpubre Okon Nkpubre, Arc. Otu Ita Toyo, Prince Chris Abasi Eyo, Barr. Emem Benson, Sir Essang Bassey, the President General of Oron Union and others spoken against the relocation of the port from Ibaka, said to have the natural depth of 28m as against what they describe as a Dugout Port.
They insist that the dugout will require the dredging of an equivalent of 150 size of football fields. This, they insist, will require regular dredging with its attendant cost and counterproductivity in terms of visibility.
Enter Governor Umo Eno in 2023. The Umo Eno administration which came to power on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defected to All Progressives Congress (APC) to align with the ruling party at the centre in order to actualise the development Ibom Deep Seaport.
A high-powered 104-man delegation of select Akwa Ibom Stakeholders visited President Bola Tinubu in the Villa with a plea for the development of the Seaport. Repeated appeals had been made at different fora.
On Monday, December 29, 2025, Matthew Koffi Okono hosted Prof Hilary Inyang, NNOM on Open Forum on Memories 96.5FM, Uyo. Prof Inyang revealed that he was leading a team of investors who are interested in the development of the Ibom Deep Seaport and Ibom Science and Technology Park with linkages in the 31 LGAs of Akwa Ibom State.
Later, the NGO officially informed Governor Eno of Prof Inyang’s offer, pointing out that a meeting was held thereafter between Gov Eno and Prof Inyang.
”A further expression of interest and meeting with the core investors had been submitted to the Governor since May 12, 2026.
You also read: FG Approves $2b First Phase Of Ibom Deep Seaport
”On the issue of core investors, it is our strong recommendation, that with the expression of interest of the Prof Hilary Inyang Nnom-led United Infrastructure Systems (UIS) Consortium, signing of MoU between the Akwa Ibom State Government and Interaf and the recent report of the renewed interest by Bollore Logistics of France, the state government should give all interested core investors a level playing field to do their presentations so the best bidder can be chosen and other details worked out with genuine investors,” the forum letter noted.
Eno solicits support for the project
Meanwhile, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has solicited collective support towards the realization of the Ibom Deep Seaport project, describing it as a critical economic asset capable of transforming the state’s future and creating alternatives to oil revenue.
Speaking during a dinner held in honour of officials of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) in Uyo, Governor Eno stated that investors who had previously withdrawn interest in the project have renewed their commitment following recent engagements with the state government.
According to him, ”discussions held with potential investors in Paris have yielded positive results,” expressing optimism that the long-awaited seaport project would soon gain renewed momentum.
He, however, appealed to stakeholders to lay aside sentiments over the location of the project and work together to ensure its successful actualisation.
Governor Eno noted that the Ibom Deep Seaport remains a strategic component of the state’s economic diversification agenda, stressing that his administration is investing in infrastructure and other development initiatives aimed at creating sustainable sources of revenue beyond crude oil.
“We are doing everything possible to create alternatives to oil and position Akwa Ibom for long-term economic prosperity. The Ibom Deep Seaport is one of those critical projects that can unlock enormous opportunities for trade, investment, industrialisation, and job creation,” he said.
