Akakan Umoh
Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno has dropped a bombshell that the development of Ibom Deep Seaport is “not a sprint but a marathon,” cautioning people against politicising the project.
But, Eno reiterated his administration’s commitment to realisation of the project started over 20 years ago to see the light of day.
The Governor stated this Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Uyo, during the presentation of the project’s feasibility report by the Technical Committee Chairman, Mrs. Mfon Usoro.
Receiving the report, the Governor thanked the Committee members for their detailed and professional work, and for their dedication and commitment towards the success of the project.
He mentioned such decisive steps as funding a full feasibility study, preparing investor fact sheets, constructing access roads, conducting geophysical and geotechnical studies, and establishing a project office in the State by his administration to see the success of the project.
He pointed out that the administration’s integration of land, air, and maritime sectors, citing tarring of over 1,300 kilometers of roads, expansion of Ibom Air, upgrade at Victor Attah International Airport, and ongoing maritime investments in Oron.
Reaffirming commitment to his result-driven approach, Governor Eno said, “We decided to bring everyone together and move all aspects of the deep seaport project to the front burner to enable us aggregate exactly what we need to do with timelines.”
He tasked the Committee to actively engage investors and the people, adding, “If we succeed with this project, Akwa Ibom wins.”
The Governor also directed the Commissioner for Special Duties to develop training initiatives for youths, to meet human capital needs, and availability of skilled workforce for the construction phase and beyond.
Eno, however, paid tributes to past leaders who laid the foundation for the project, especially the former Governor Victor Attah, Senate President and former Governor of Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio, and immediate past Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel.
Earlier, the Committee Chairman, Mrs. Usoro, had said the project is designed to drive economic growth, expand Nigeria’s port capacity, and improve ease of doing business through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The former Director-General of NIMASA expressed hope that the seaport would accelerate industrialisation by integrating with the Ibom Industrial City, and as a Free Trade Zone, it is positioned to become a major trans-shipment hub and one of the largest deep-sea ports in the region.
Mrs. Usoro also a maritime lawyer announced that the committee had already achieved detailed milestones including the engagement of Programme Managers, appointment of global transaction advisors, completion of feasibility studies, due diligence, financial modeling, and a transparent international bidding process that produced preferred bidders.
On the project’s priority phases, starting with infrastructure development, she mentioned container terminals, main and secondary breakwaters, and Navy berths, Front-End Engineering Design (FEED), market and financial studies, and port access road construction.
Others are investment roadshows, marketing of the Ibom Industrial City, land acquisition, regularization of Free Trade Zone licenses with the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority, and re-engagement with the Nigerian Ports Authority on concession negotiations.
Mrs Usoro appealed for patience, and explained that port development is complex and time-consuming, noting that similar projects globally often take up to 20 years from conception to commissioning.
