Akwa Ibom State governor Pastor Umo Eno, PhD, has said his administration has fully delivered on all the promises made during the 2023 governorship campaign, as he marked his third anniversary in office on Friday, May 29, 2026.
Speaking in a statewide broadcast, the governor declared that the state had been transformed from “a once rusty backwater subnational into a shining city on the hill.”
“We have ticked all the boxes and are ready to do even more when, by the grace of God, you return me for another four-year tour of duty next year,” he declared.
The governor announced that his administration has commissioned or is currently constructing 1,300 kilometres of roads with 40 bridges across the state, with every local government area benefiting from at least one completed or ongoing project.
To drive rural development, he said 7.3 billion naira had been approved for women’s cooperatives across all 369 wards, with each ward receiving a solar-powered borehole. He added that rural areas have also been opened up with markets and model health care centres.
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In the education sector, Eno highlighted that the Akwa Ibom College of Education, Afaha Nsit, has been fully upgraded to a university of education.
According to him, a governing board for the new university of education would be constituted in the next few weeks. He added that three model secondary schools with state-of-the-art facilities are being established across the three senatorial districts.
The governor also noted that solar-powered model primary schools with computer laboratories and teachers’ quarters have been built and commissioned, with 1,000 teachers recruited and another 1,000 approved for recruitment soon.
On health care, he reported the recruitment of 2,854 medical personnel and the enrolment of over 200,000 citizens into the state’s medical insurance scheme, saying that work is ongoing on a 350-bed Ibom International Hospital. He stated that primary health care centres have been commissioned or are under construction in all 31 local government areas.
In agriculture, the government launched an Oil Palm Tree Crop Revolution just a day before the anniversary, alongside an agricultural equipment leasing company to provide subsidised farm machinery. N2 billion in grants has been distributed to farmers, Eno added.
He noted that the Ibom Model Farm and other farms undertaken by local government chairmen are ongoing.
On tourism, he disclosed that a Variety Night would be held later in the evening at the soon-to-be-commissioned ARISE Palm Resort and listed other tourism assets, including the International Convention Centre, the Ibom Hotels and the ARISE Shopping City Centre.
In the aviation sector, Eno announced that Ibom Air has taken delivery of two CRJ900 Bombardier aircraft paid for outright, with an Airbus A220-300 expected later this year. The airline recently made its maiden international flight from the new terminal to Accra, Ghana.
He also listed the Aviation Village, a world-class hospital within the airport, the MRO, taxiway and perimeter fencing as key investments in the sector.
He also disclosed that his administration met a backlog of N111 billion in gratuities dating back to 2012, of which over N83 billion has been paid, pledging to liquidate the entire backlog before the end of his first term.
On youth empowerment, he said over N6 billion in business grants have been provided to youths and farmers, while thousands have been trained at Ibom-LED and the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre (DASAC) with N750,000 start-up packs. He added that a Youth Development Centre was launched three days ago in Oron LGA, which will be replicated across all the 31 LGAs to train youths in e-commerce, creativity and fashion design.
In the power sector, Eno said steps have been taken to ensure stable electricity, including off-grid supply to unserved rural communities. At the Ibom Deep Seaport, he disclosed that the federal government recently approved it as one of five such ports and thanked President Tinubu for the approval.
In the housing sector, he declared that over 1,048 houses have been built in clusters, including 438 compassionate homes, as well as the medical village, aviation village, judiciary village and legislative village.
On sports development, he said an academy is being primed in Eket to discover young talents. On transportation, he said work is ongoing on what many have described as the best bus terminal, with 50 CNG buses due to arrive in June. He also noted significant improvements in IGR through TSA.
He further disclosed that in the next five years, the administration would work to complete 85 other audacious projects under the ARISE 2.0 blueprint, which would capture needs articulated by citizens during federal constituency tours across the state.
The governor thanked President Bola Tinubu for what he called bold reforms that “have put more funds in the hands of sub-nationals to execute audacious projects” and also acknowledged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, for collaborating with his administration.
As the political season approaches, he urged citizens to play politics of ideas rather than engage in name-calling or character assassination.
He declared that he came to office as a peacemaker and would leave in 2031 as one, adding: “I will continue to pastor Akwa Ibom State with the fear of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.”
He also unveiled ARISE 2.0, a blueprint for a potential second term from 2027 to 2031, which he said would capture “needs articulated by citizens during federal constituency tours across the state.
