Gov Eno Reaffirms Commitment To Ibom Deep Seaport Project

Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has again given assurance of his administration’s readiness fund the implementation of the Ibom Deep Seaport project, noting that the blue economy holds the key to the socio-economic stability of the state.

Expressing confidence that the initiative, which started over 20 years ago, would see the light of day in his era, the governor rallied concerned stakeholders, agencies and industry players for support.

The governor gave the assurance at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Uyo, during the presentation of the project’s feasibility report by the technical committee.

Receiving the report, the governor applauded the committee for their “detailed and professional work,” commending their dedication and commitment to ensuring the success of the project.

Presenting the report, the committee chairman, Mrs. Mfon Usoro, a maritime lawyer and former director – general of NIMASA, explained that “the project is designed to drive economic growth, expand Nigeria’s port capacity, and improve ease of doing business through a Public-Private Partnership model.”

Besides, she maintained that the seaport would accelerate industrialization by integrating with the Ibom Industrial City, and as a Free Trade Zone, adding that “it is positioned to become a major transshipment hub and one of the largest deep-sea ports in the region.”

Governor Eno, therefore, paid tribute to past leaders who laid the foundation for the project, including former Governor Victor Attah, Senate President and former governor, Godswill Akpabio, and immediate past governor, Udom Emmanuel, cautioning against politicizing the project, while emphasizing that “deep seaport development is not a sprint, but a marathon.”

He highlighted decisive steps taken by his administration, including 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.

Governor Eno, also noted the administration’s integration of land, air, and maritime sectors, citing over 1,300 kilometers of roads, expansion of Ibom Air, upgrades at Victor Attah International Airport, and ongoing maritime investments in Oron, saying these would be integrated to make the state a strategic maritime corridor in the country.

“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 stressed, and tasked the committee to actively engage investors and the people for the project to succeed.

The governor also directed the commissioner for special duties to develop training initiatives for youths, ensuring that human capital needs are met and a skilled workforce available for the construction phase and beyond.

Mrs. Usoro, however, detailed milestones already achieved, 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.