Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi has pledged to begin a seaport project in Akwa Ibom if elected, as part of a wider plan spanning Niger Delta ports.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lists Obi as the party’s candidate for the January 2027 presidential election. In a post dated Oct. 31, he said the plan also calls for a new port in Bayelsa and upgrades to ports in Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar. “We will also begin construction of the long-delayed Ibaka seaport in Akwa Ibom State,” Obi wrote.
Separately, Akwa Ibom’s official project site describes a planned facility called the Ibom Deep Sea Port. The site says large vessels would offload cargo for transfer to smaller ships for onward delivery. It also says federal and state transport authorities are involved and links the port to a planned free-trade zone.
An undated status page for the Ibom Deep Sea Port lists federal approval and a completed environmental impact assessment. Its listed phases include the Full Business Case and procurement. The page records 14,400 hectares acquired for the wider project and 5,129 hectares acquired and surveyed for the deep-sea port.
The Akwa Ibom State Government said state officials and prospective partners reviewed a technical feasibility report in Paris on June 5, 2026. Worley Parsons prepared the report with Africa Global Logistics. The state said Gov. Umo Eno requested clear timelines, milestones and next steps.
Obi did not provide a construction date, cost estimate or financing plan. The state’s June update did not set a construction start date for its Ibom Deep Sea Port project.
