Akwa Ibom @38: Gov Eno Unveils Development Plans

….Urges Sustainable Peace

By Patrick Titus

As Akwa Ibom State clocks 38 years today (September 23, 2025), the state Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has pledged the commitment of his administration to expand on achievements made by past administrations and reposition the state economically.

Governor Eno made the pledge in a statewide broadcast to the people of the state to mark its creation.

Unveiling the plans, the Governor said that his administration will expand the frontiers of all those developmental gains and prime the state away from dependency on oil to tourism, which is the new black gold.

“Through our Governance blueprint, (Arise Agenda), we have reignited our passion in agriculture and the need to produce our staple food so our people may have enough to feed their families and to earn income too.

“The tree crop development plan which we will soon launch will provide generational and sustainable economic prosperity for our people and restore our place as the nation’s leading oil palm producers. I urge you to participate in this exercise once it is launched.

“Our schools and healthcare services remain major areas of attention. We will continue to build model healthcare centres across the state as well as model primary and secondary schools in the three senatorial districts.

“The emergency we recently declared in the healthcare sector will address the gaps in that sector. We hope to flag-off the construction of our 350-bed Ibom International Hospital along the medical corridor as well as the commissioning of the Arise Elders Care Centre, also along the same corridor.

“We are priming our state as the tourism hub of the nation. Our audacious Arise Resort, which has been celebrated by all who have inspected it, will be commissioned in December and is expected to draw visitors in millions to our state. We are building the 5,000-capacity International Convention Centre, the 200-room Ibom Hotel and Arise City Centre – all located within the Tropicana grounds.

“The Ibom Hotels and Apartments in Abuja as well as Ibom Towers and Apartments in Lagos – all previously moribund state assets which we have now converted into money-earning ventures – are ongoing,” Gov Eno announced.

He however appealed to the people of the state to remain united, peaceful, and hopeful.

“As the political season unfolds, I urge us not to allow the flaming passion of politics to divide us. Elections will come and go, but the Akwa Ibom spirit of love and brotherhood will remain. We are running Akwa Ibom United across party lines,” he posited.

It would be recalled that Akwa Ibom state was created on September 23, 1987 from the old Cross River State along with Katsina State which was created from old Kaduna State by the former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.) after many years of continuous struggle and demand by leaders for its creation.