Nigeria: Tinubu to Commission Multi-Billion Naira Projects in Akwa Ibom

What the report says

President Bola Tinubu is due to visit Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, to commission eight projects completed under Governor Umo Eno’s administration, according to the report. The list includes roads, airport-related facilities, a tourism resort, a GIS office complex, and a command-and-control centre. The presidency said the visit was scheduled for Friday, followed by a political rally in Rivers State.

The Premium Times report, carried by AllAfrica, says the projects have received repeated budgetary allocations running into billions of naira, but the state has not publicly disclosed the original contract sums, procurement records, or contractor details. It says this includes major items such as the Airport-Okopedi Road, Ring Road 3, the ARISE Palm Resort, and the International Terminal Building at Victor Attah International Airport.

The article raises transparency questions under Akwa Ibom’s public procurement law, which requires procurement information to be published on an electronic portal. It says searches of the portal did not reveal the relevant contract documentation or evidence of open competitive bidding for the projects reviewed. The report argues that, without those records, the public cannot easily assess compliance, costs, or value for money.

The piece also notes that some of the projects have a longer history across previous administrations, while others at the airport have previously drawn scrutiny over the timing of their commissioning and later budget allocations.