The Akwa Ibom State Government has disbursed N2 billion to 3,496 traders across the 31 local government areas as part of measures to boost small businesses and stimulate economic activities.
The disbursement was disclosed at the 12th edition of the State Inter-Ministerial Briefing in Uyo, where the Ministries of Trade and Investment and Justice gave accounts of stewardship under Governor Umo Eno’s ARISE Agenda.
Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Captain Iniobong Ekong (rtd), said the Traders’ Grant Programme is aimed at helping small businesses restock and expand.
He clarified that the N2 billion grant is separate from the N31 billion economic empowerment programme in the 2026 budget targeting women, youths, farmers, transport operators and MSMEs. He said beneficiary selection was data-driven to ensure transparency.
Ekong listed key projects to include the Ikot Ekpene International Market, which on completion of its first phase will have 1,200 shops in 30 modern blocks, warehouses, administrative blocks, security posts, dedicated power, boreholes, cold rooms, a modern abattoir and two restaurants. He said the market will boost trade, jobs and agricultural value chains and position Ikot Ekpene as a commercial hub in the South-South.
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Other plans include three agro-processing industrial clusters in Ikot Ekpene, Eket and Oron, an investment roadmap for implementation in Q1 2027, an online investment portal, one-stop investment centres, and reforms under the World Bank-supported SABER programme. The state will also host its maiden non-oil export summit.
In the justice sector, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, SAN, said work is ongoing on the Court of Appeal complex in the state being handled by Azvad and Moore Services Limited, expected to be completed before the end of the 2026/2027 legal year. The project will end the stress of lawyers and litigants traveling to Calabar for appeal cases.
Udom said the state has secured land to relocate the Uyo Correctional Centre outside the city and is collaborating with the Nigerian Correctional Service to decongest custodial centres.
He announced that Governor Eno signed the Akwa Ibom State Office of the Public Defender Establishment Law in July 2026 to provide free legal services for indigent residents. Approval has also been secured to recruit 25 additional law officers.
According to him, the ministry is handling 3,264 cases – 896 pending civil cases (96 concluded) and 2,368 criminal cases (843 concluded) – and has prepared about 420 legal instruments including regulations, MoUs, agreements and legal opinions.
He added that 340 gender-based violence cases involving battery, assault, emotional abuse, harmful widowhood practices and child abandonment are pending, while alternative dispute resolution is being deployed for family, tenancy and land disputes.
Speaking at the briefing, Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, Emmanuel Ekpenyong, said Governor Eno assented to 14 bills in July covering governance, fiscal responsibility, procurement, revenue, security, electricity, asset management and tourism.
