An Akwa Ibom civil society group has asked Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to formalize funding for the Ibom Deep Sea Port, arguing the project should not be tied to support for his 2027 re-election.
Premium Times and Business Times reported that the Ibom Peoples’ Empowerment and Ecosystem Restoration Foundation (PEER Foundation) made the appeal in a statement attributed to Executive Director Mfon Gabriel. The statement remains unverified beyond those reports. The group said infrastructure financed with federal revenue should serve all citizens, regardless of how they vote.
The State House said Tinubu approved Akwa Ibom Gov. Umo Eno’s request for the port at a rally in Uyo on Nov. 6, describing it as a source of economic development. A Federal Information Center account of the event said Tinubu linked seaport development to his re-election; the State House account did not include that election reference. EconoTimes previously reported on Tinubu’s approval after Eno’s vote pledge.
The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) register lists the project as a greenfield port and free trade zone, with an approval date of Dec. 16, 2020, and a value of $2.016 billion. The register does not identify which phase the figure covers. Eno’s later account described Tinubu’s decision as approval of financing arrangements.
Premium Times reported that PEER Foundation estimated Akwa Ibom contributed ₦29.33 trillion to Nigeria’s national treasury from oil and gas between 1999 and 2025, and received ₦3.814 trillion in 13% derivation allocations during that period. The figures are unverified, and Premium Times did not disclose the calculation method.
In a Nov. 7 broadcast, Eno said Akwa Ibom would give Tinubu its votes in the presidential election scheduled for Jan. 16, 2027, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
