President Bola Tinubu has given the green light to the long-awaited Ibom Deep Seaport project in Akwa Ibom State.
Tinubu made the announcement on Friday in response to a request from Governor Umo Eno at a reception and rally held in his honor at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
The President, who was in the state to commission projects carried out by the Eno administration, stated that the development must drive inclusive growth, create economic value, and bring progress to the people.
“Now, development must be even inclusive and reasonable and must bring progress and create economic value. I heard from my friend, my governor, and my pastor, on behalf of the people and leadership of Akwa Ibom, a request for Ibom’s deep-sea port,” Tinubu said.
Once he had repeated the request, the president asked the crowd, “Will you vote?”
He then announced, “Okay, it’s approved.”
The approval came after Eno pledged that Akwa Ibom would deliver two million votes for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 provided the Federal Government delivered the seaport.
“Give us Ibom Deep Seaport, and we will deliver two million votes. This deep seaport is capable of unlocking the economy of the state, the South-South region, and Nigeria at large,” the governor said.
Eno described the seaport as the most significant economic need of the Akwa Ibom people, noting that it would reshape the state’s maritime, industrial, and employment landscape.
He stated that the people of the state had stayed loyal to Tinubu since 2023 and were now asking him to fulfill his pledge to build the facility.
During his 2023 presidential campaign rally at the same stadium, Tinubu had promised to build the deep seaport, pointing to the Lekki Deep Seaport, developed while he was governor of Lagos State, as an example of what he hoped to accomplish in Akwa Ibom.
Eno said the project, conceived as the Ibaka Deep Seaport and Industrial City during the administration of former Governor Victor Attah, had gone unrealized for decades even though it had featured in successive presidential campaigns.
“This seaport would serve as a major transhipment hub. It will create thousands of jobs for our people. It will open Akwa Ibom to international trade and investment,” he said.
The governor also stated that Akwa Ibom had aligned with the Federal Government by joining the All Progressives Congress to attract greater federal presence and development.
He reassured Tinubu that the state would rally support for his re-election in 2027, noting that the seaport would be a major benefit of his administration.
