The state government of Akwa Ibom forecasts more than 300,000 direct and indirect jobs between 2027 and 2050 thanks to the Ibom deep water port project. The programme also includes an industrial area of 14,517 hectares and multimodal connections to support commercial and industrial activities.
Located in southern Nigeria, the Ibom Deep Seaport (Ibom Deep Seaport) project is one of the main industrial investments in Akwa Ibom State. At an interdepartmental press briefing in Uyo, Special Missions and Port Commissioner Emem Bob reported that feasibility studies, site-specific studies and the master plan were completed.
The complete trade file was also approved by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission and the Federal Executive Council. The selection of preferred bidders for the development of the port is ongoing.
The project envisages an industrial area of 14,517 hectares, organized around several sectors, including petrochemicals, agro-industry, maritime activities and automotive assembly. A power plant with a planned capacity of 2,151 megawatts must also support its development.
The site will benefit, according to the plans presented by the authorities, from the status of free trade area and multimodal connections with the road and rail networks and with Victor Attah International Airport. Such infrastructure must facilitate trade in goods and the establishment of industrial activities.
In parallel, the State continues to develop its airport and business tourism infrastructure. The new international terminal at Victor Attah Airport, with an area of 27,173 m2, is designed to accommodate up to three million passengers per year. International operations began on 2 May 2026 with an inaugural flight from Ibom Air to Accra, Ghana.
Between 2023 and September 2026, the airport recorded 1,386,060 domestic passenger movements and 1,998 international passenger movements, according to Uwem Ekanem, special adviser to the governor responsible for aviation and airport development.
The Government is also planning to deliver the Ibom International Convention Centre in December, which is estimated to be 90 per cent advanced. The infrastructure must accommodate up to 5,000 people and has a 615-seat parking lot.
These projects are part of the State's economic diversification strategy, which seeks to reduce its dependence on oil and gas by developing maritime, air, industrial and tourist activities.
The more than 300,000 jobs announced for the port and its industrial area remain, however, a projection by 2050, dependent on the implementation of the infrastructure and the expected investments.
