The Akwa Ibom State Government has budgeted a total of N26.91 billion for refurbishing, furnishing, and renovating the electrical and mechanical facilities at the Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort in Uyo between 2025 and 2026.
This insight into the budgetary provisions for the project follows the state government’s announcement of the hotel’s temporary closure from 22 August to allow for the completion of ongoing renovation works and the repositioning of the facility under a new management company.
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The government announced the closure on Saturday in a public notice signed by the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, and the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Anieti Udofia.
The hotel, one of the state’s major tourism assets built about 19 years ago by the administration of former governor Victor Attah, has been undergoing rehabilitation since March 2025.
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Despite the billions of naira allocated to the project, the state government has not publicly disclosed the total cost of the rehabilitation, the amount already spent, the contractor handling the works or when the renovation is expected to be completed.
Budget breakdown
A check of Akwa Ibom State’s 2026 approved budget and 2025 revised budget shows that the state government allocated N10 billion in its 2025 budget for the “Refurbishing and Furnishing of Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort”.
It also provided N6 billion in the same year for the “Renovation of Electrical and Mechanical Facilities of Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort”.
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The two provisions brought the 2025 budget allocation for the hotel’s renovation to N16 billion.
In the 2026 budget, the state reduced the allocation for refurbishing and furnishing the hotel to N7.32 billion. Another N3.59 billion was allocated for the renovation of its electrical and mechanical facilities.
The two provisions amount to N10.91 billion in 2026.
When the 2025 and 2026 allocations are combined, the state has budgeted N26.91 billion for the two components of the hotel’s rehabilitation.
It remains unclear how much of the N16 billion allocated in 2025 was released and spent before the additional N10.91 billion provision in the 2026 budget. Since the first quarter of 2025, the Akwa Ibom State Government has failed to publish detailed budget performance reports including its capital expenses.
PREMIUM TIMES has reported that under Governor Umo Eno’s administration, Akwa Ibom has slipped deeper into fiscal secrecy.
Full closure
The government initially adopted a phased approach to the renovation, allowing the hotel to continue operating while parts of the facility were being rehabilitated.
The state had said 40 of the hotel’s 163 rooms and the seven chalets were initially shut to enable renovation works.
But in its latest announcement, the government said the entire hotel would temporarily suspend operations from 22 August.
“This is part of the ongoing comprehensive rehabilitation and renewal of Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort,” the government said, adding that the closure would allow for the “speedy completion of renovation works and the implementation of a new operational framework.”
The golf course, however, will remain open.
The government said the course had been maintained and remained in good condition for players and visitors.
Who is supervising the project?
Although the rehabilitation projects are budgeted under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Charles Udoh, a former commissioner for information, environment and culture/tourism, is supervising the renovation.
Mr Udoh currently serves as Mr Eno’s delivery advisor on hospitality infrastructure.
The rehabilitation commenced in March 2025.
The state government has, however, not publicly provided a comprehensive project document stating the approved total cost, implementation period, contractor, milestones or expected completion date.
The lack of publicly available details makes it difficult to determine how the N26.91 billion budget provision relates to the actual cost of the ongoing rehabilitation and how much of the money has so far been expended.
Government changes hotel management
The closure will also coincide with a change in the management of the state-owned hospitality business.
The government said management of Ibom Hospitality Limited would be handed over to ALEPH Hospitality, an international hospitality management company, from 22 August.
According to the government, the decision is intended to introduce “global best practices”, improve service standards and operational efficiency, and enhance the commercial performance of the state’s hospitality assets.
It said the decision followed more than 18 years of continuous operation of the hotel without a major transformation.
The government also said no existing employee would be laid off solely because of the management transition.
It, however, acknowledged that some employees might choose not to continue under the new operational arrangement, while others might not possess the skills required by the new management.
Such workers, the government said, could be considered for opportunities elsewhere within the state’s hospitality chain, including the ARISE Palm Resort when it becomes operational.
During the closure, a team of employees will remain at the hotel to support the rehabilitation works, protect the property and ensure its maintenance, the government said.
The government described the rehabilitation and management transition as part of its plan to reposition Akwa Ibom’s hospitality sector and make the state a major tourism and business destination.
But the scale of the budgetary commitment — N26.91 billion in two years — raises questions about the actual expenditure on the project, the status of the works and the timeline for reopening the hotel.
The government did not provide those details in Saturday’s announcement.
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