On September 23, Akwa Ibom State turns 38 — a moment beckoning both celebration and sober reflection.
Since its creation in 1987, carved out of the old Cross River State, Akwa Ibom, nestled in the Gulf of Guinea, has evolved from a fledgling local government administrative unit into urban centre that commands national attention for its infrastructural strides and relatively stable governance.
In nearly four decades, the state has witnessed a transformation in physical development, thanks to successive administrations that have prioritised road networks, healthcare infrastructure, and public buildings. The advent of Ibom Air has been hailed nationally as a rare example of a successful sub-national enterprise, and the ongoing Ibom Deep Seaport project signals ambition to diversify the economy beyond oil.
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We congratulate the government and people of Akwa Ibom State on this epoch-making but momentous occasion. In particular, we felicitate Governor Umo Eno on your ARISE agenda which is aimed at rocking governance from bottom-up approach to the urban city as well as addressing some development deficiencies inherited from some past administrations.
However, 38 years on, Akwa Ibom’s true development story remains incomplete — a tale of progress that is uneven and, at times, cosmetic. The state still battles with entrenched poverty, youth unemployment, a weak industrial base, and overdependence on federal allocations driven by crude oil revenues. As the state marches towards its fourth decade, it must rethink its development model to align with both the demands of the present and the aspirations of its future. The state must save enough for the rainy days.
Akwa Ibom needs a deliberate shift toward inclusive and broad-based economic growth. This means investing not just in mega-projects but in people. Agriculture, once a viable economic backbone, remains underdeveloped despite fertile land and favourable climate. State support should move beyond sporadic empowerment schemes to building real value chains — from production to processing and marketing — that can engage thousands and create long-term wealth.
Similarly, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the state struggle with poor access to financing, weak infrastructure in rural areas, and limited market linkages. A targeted policy framework to nurture local entrepreneurs, promote digital innovation, and stimulate job creation must take centre stage.
Any vision for Akwa Ibom’s future must be rooted in robust investment in human capital. Despite visible improvements in school infrastructure, learning outcomes remain low in many public schools. Teacher quality, curriculum relevance, and access to digital tools need urgent attention. It is not enough to send children to school — the system must ensure they are actually learning, and learning what matters in today’s world.
We call on the present administration to reposition the tertiary institutions, including the state-owned university and polytechnic, as hubs of research, innovation, and technical training — not just as degree factories. The state must also begin to invest in non-traditional education pathways, especially for youths outside the formal school system.
The future of Akwa Ibom cannot be anchored solely in oil or megaprojects. As the largest producer of crude oil and one of the receivers of the largest funds from Federation Allocation and Account Committee (FAAC), the state must be rooted in people — their education, their productivity, their security, and their dignity.
The time has come for the present indeed incoming administrations in the state to plough much funds into education – send many of the citizens to acquire more skills and standardized education in the first-tenth universities in the world. Equip our primary and secondary schools with basic teaching and learning facilities to train and empower more teachers to impart sound knowledge to their wards, thereby depleting private schools from mushrooming to octopus.
Much of Akwa Ibom’s development remains concentrated in Uyo and a few urban centres, leaving large rural communities without access to basic amenities. If this imbalance persists, it risks creating internal migration pressures and rural decay. The next phase of state development must decentralise growth: improving rural roads, expanding access to clean water, strengthening primary healthcare, and creating opportunities at the grassroots.
Good governance is the bedrock of sustainable development. While Akwa Ibom has largely escaped the high-level political volatility seen in some neighbouring states, democratic accountability still lags behind. Budgets are often released without detailed citizen engagement, and project implementation is shrouded in opacity. As the state matures, so too must its democratic institutions.
The government should open its books, publish detailed procurement data, and empower citizens and civil society to monitor project execution. Real development thrives where the people are not just beneficiaries, but co-creators of public policy.
As part of the Niger Delta, Akwa Ibom, engrossed in the rainy belt, is not immune to the effects of environmental degradation — from oil spills to coastal erosion and deforestation. The state needs a clear, enforceable environmental policy framework. As climate change intensifies, so will its impact on coastal communities, agriculture, and infrastructure. The time to build resilience is now — through smart urban planning, green investments, and environmental education. In fact, the erosion menace in various parts of the state particularly Uyo, the state capital must be abated.
At 38, Akwa Ibom has laid a solid foundation, but foundations are not enough. What comes next must be guided by strategic, inclusive, and sustainable thinking. It is time to pivot from infrastructure for show to development for impact — the kind that uplifts lives, bridges inequality, and secures the future.
The question is no longer whether Akwa Ibom can build roads, airports, or towers. It is whether it can build a society where opportunity is widespread, governance is transparent, and growth is resilient. That is the promise the next phase must strive to fulfil — not just for today, but for generations yet to come.
