President Bola Tinubu has approved international status for Akwa Ibom State’s airport and endorsed the long-proposed Ibom Deep Seaport, days after the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate Peter Obi pledged to begin construction of the same project if elected.
Tinubu announced the decisions on Friday during a visit to Uyo, after a formal request from Governor Umo Eno on behalf of the state and its people.
“I approved it”
Addressing a large crowd at a political rally, Tinubu confirmed the airport upgrade. “Now, you made a request for international airport status. I approved it,” he said.
He also backed the Ibom Deep Seaport, citing its potential to drive growth, attract investment and create jobs. “Ibom Deep Seaport will bring associated economic value and economic development,” he said, according to reports of the event.
“Two million votes”
The approvals came as the Akwa Ibom government pledged to deliver two million votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. Eno tied the seaport request to political support.
“Give us Ibom Deep Seaport, we will deliver two million votes. This deep seaport is capable of unlocking the economy of the state, the South-South region and Nigeria at large,” the governor said.
Tinubu promised wider benefits. “I promise you a better future. I promise you development. I promise you education. I promise you skills development. I promise you jobs,” he told the gathering.
He urged residents to collect their Permanent Voter Cards and support his re-election bid, while praising Eno’s leadership.
Obi’s port pledge
Obi has promised to begin construction of the seaport if elected in 2027. He said his administration would start upgrading ports across the Niger Delta, including those in Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar, while building the Ibom Deep Seaport and setting up a new port in Bayelsa State.
“In Bayelsa, I pledged that we would begin efforts to upgrade ports throughout the Niger Delta, including those in Warri, Port Harcourt, and Calabar. We will also begin construction of the long-delayed Ibaka seaport in Akwa Ibom State and establish a new port in Bayelsa State to serve our riverine communities and the broader Niger Delta more effectively,” he wrote.
Decades-old project
The seaport, originally conceived as the Ibaka Deep Seaport and Industrial City, has remained unbuilt decades after it was first proposed. Tinubu also promised to deliver it during his 2023 presidential campaign in Akwa Ibom.
Note: Ibaka Deep Seaport and Ibom Deep Seaport refer to the exact same flagship maritime infrastructure project in Akwa Ibom State. While initially proposed and popularly called the Ibaka Deep Seaport due to its coastal location in Ibaka (Mbo Local Government Area), the Federal Executive Council and Akwa Ibom State Government officially renamed and restructured it as the Ibom Deep Seaport (IDSP) to integrate it into the larger Ibom Industrial City project.
