Senate President Godswill Akpabio has disclosed that Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno’s major request from the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu is the realisation of the long-awaited Ibom Deep Seaport Project.
Akpabio made the remark when he led a delegation to Vice President Kashim Shettima in Abuja, explaining that the project remains the state’s “single most strategic infrastructure demand” from the Tinubu administration.
“All Governor Umo Eno wants from the Federal Government is for President Tinubu to approve the take-off of the Ibom Deep Seaport. Once that happens, Akwa Ibom will become a major logistics and trade hub for West and Central Africa,” Akpabio said.
The Ibom Deep Seaport, projected to be Nigeria’s deepest with a natural depth of 17.2 metres, is expected to complement the Lekki and Onne ports while driving industrial and maritime expansion across the South-South region.
Governor Eno has consistently highlighted the port as key to unlocking Akwa Ibom’s economic potential, attract international investors, and create thousands of jobs.
“Our vision is not just a port, but a new maritime economy that integrates shipping, logistics, and export industries,” he noted during a recent meeting with the Federal Ministry of Transportation.
Industry experts have also described the project as vital for decongesting Lagos ports and repositioning Nigeria as a dominant player in the Gulf of Guinea trade corridor.
With renewed federal interest, the Akwa Ibom government is optimistic that the project — first conceptualised in 2007 — could finally achieve groundbreaking under the Tinubu administration.
