Akwa Ibom Gets World Bank’s $6.2m For Transparency In Budget Management

The World Bank-assisted State Action on Business Enabling Reform (SABER) Programme has rewarded Akwa Ibom State with $6,206,745.42 for its outstanding performance under the 2024 budget assessment.

Governor Uno Eno, who disclosed this during the July edition of the Monthly Covenant Service held at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo, the State capital.

He said the recognition underscored his administration’s commitment to accountability, prudent management of public resources and institutional reforms in line with the ARISE Agenda blueprint of government.

The latest recognition comes on the heels of Akwa Ibom’s emergence as one of Nigeria’s top-performing states in governance in the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS) Governance Performance Index (CGP).

Governor Eno noted that the twin recognitions constituted an affirmation that “the State is on the right development trajectory and his administration’s commitment to delivering on the ARISE Agenda,” stressing that sustainable development requires deliberate planning, consistency and patience.

Highlighting other milestones so far in the last three years, Governor Eno announced that Ibom Air has resumed international flight operations from Uyo to Accra, Ghana, with flights currently operating on Thursdays and Sundays, and expressed optimism that additional international routes would be introduced as passenger traffic continues to grow.

He also disclosed that the state government has procured 50 brand-new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to strengthen public transportation. According to him, the first batch of 20 buses has arrived, while the remaining 30 will be delivered later. He added that the buses are newly manufactured and that drivers will undergo proper training before deployment.

On youth development, Governor Eno reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to establishing Youth Development Centres in all the 31 local government areas, explaining that the initiative is aimed at making skills acquisition and empowerment programmes more accessible to young people in their communities, in alignment with the planned amendment of the NYSC Act to make youths across the country more productive.

The Governor also called on residents and visitors to take advantage of the state’s growing tourism assets, describing the period as Akwa Ibom’s “harvest season.” “We are in our harvest season. You need to visit Arise Park and the ARISE Resort. Akwa Ibom is doing well, and we will continue to grow our tourism sector,” he said.

Governor Eno cautioned media practitioners, social media users and the general public against spreading false information, urging them to verify facts before publishing or sharing content. He described the dissemination of falsehood as harmful to society and appealed to those involved in circulating unverified information to desist from the practice or face the full wrath of the law.