‘Tinubu has reassured me of Ibom Deep Seaport’

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, says President Bola Tinubu has reassured him of federal support for the long-delayed Ibom Deep Seaport project, a key economic initiative expected to transform the state’s economy.

Mr Eno spoke on Saturday during the 2026 International Women’s Day celebration held at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. Thousands of women from across the state attended the event.

The celebration, themed “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” had Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, as a special guest.

Tinubu’s promise

Mr Eno said the president had personally assured him that the federal government would support the realisation of the Ibom Deep Seaport.

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“Thank you, Mr President, for the expectation of the Ibom Deep Seaport, because many times when I discuss with him, he tells me ‘I will give you the Ibom Deep Seaport’”, the governor said, according to a statement on the state government website.

“I hold on to that promise, and I know it shall come to pass.”

He also expressed appreciation for the ongoing Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, which passes through Akwa Ibom.

“Your Excellency, please convey the greetings of Akwa Ibom people to the President for the coastal road that he is doing and is passing through Akwa Ibom,” he said.

“In no distant time, we shall go to Lagos within five hours. Thank you so much.”

Project at the centre of political debate

The Ibom Deep Seaport has long been considered a strategic project capable of boosting maritime trade and creating thousands of jobs in the state and the Niger Delta region.

Despite being proposed by successive administrations in Akwa Ibom, the project has yet to move beyond the planning and paper approval stages.

The seaport became a major political issue last year when Mr Eno defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). At the time, he told residents that aligning with the ruling party APC would help secure federal support needed to actualise the project.

However, months after the defection, no construction work has commenced, raising concerns among residents about the project’s progress.

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First Lady commissions facility

Mr Eno also thanked the president’s wife for visiting the state to commission a new facility for elderly citizens.

“Thank you, Your Excellency, for honoring my wife today by commissioning the Elderly Citizens Centre that we have named Senator Oluremi Tinubu Senior Citizens Centre,” he said.

He added that the centre is one of three planned facilities aimed at providing care for senior citizens, noting that his administration is preparing a bill for the state House of Assembly to strengthen welfare support for the elderly.