₦airaland Forum

2027: Obi promises to begin construction of Ibom Deep Seaport if elected president

Peter Obi has pledged to begin construction of the long-delayed Ibom Deep Seaport, joining President Bola Tinubu in making a presidential promise to Akwa Ibom over the strategic maritime project.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Peter Obi has promised to begin construction of the Ibom Deep Seaport in Akwa Ibom State, renewing attention on a project that has featured prominently in the campaign promises of Nigerian presidential candidates.

Mr Obi made the promise in a Facebook post on Saturday, following his visit to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Friday, where he attended a homecoming ceremony organised in honour of Seriake Dickson, a senator and national leader of the NDC.

He said his proposed administration would begin efforts to upgrade ports across the Niger Delta, including those in Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar, while commencing construction of the Ibom Deep Seaport in Akwa Ibom and establishing 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.

The latest pledge is noteworthy because the Ibom Deep Seaport, originally conceived as the Ibaka Deep Seaport and Industrial City, has remained unrealised decades after its conception.

It also places Mr Obi alongside President Bola Tinubu, who promised to deliver the project during his 2023 presidential campaign in Akwa Ibom.

At the All Progressives Congress campaign rally at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on 30 January 2023, Mr Tinubu told supporters: “We will do mechanised farming. We will export food from Akwa Ibom. We will build your deep seaport.”

He cited the Lekki Deep Seaport, developed during his tenure as Lagos governor, as an example of what he could achieve in Akwa Ibom.

Mr Tinubu’s promise was followed by further assurances after he became president. In January 2024, Governor Umo Eno said the president had asked him to submit a memorandum seeking federal government support for the project.

Mr Eno disclosed this after meeting Mr Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, saying he had requested the president’s intervention in the seaport and the state’s oil palm development programme.

In March 2026, the governor again publicly acknowledged the president’s assurances, saying Mr Tinubu had repeatedly told him during their discussions: “I will give you the Ibom Deep Seaport.”

“I hold on to that promise, and I know it shall come to pass,” Mr Eno said.

Other presidential candidates’ promises

Mr Obi had also promised to develop the seaport during his 2023 presidential campaign.

At a Labour Party rally in Uyo in December 2022, he said he would ensure the project was put in place if elected president, describing the decades of promises surrounding it as unacceptable.

He subsequently told journalists that Akwa Ibom was not asking for a favour by seeking the seaport, arguing that it would provide Nigeria with an export channel and strengthen the country’s productive capacity.

In an interview published by Vanguard in January 2023, Mr Obi said: “We are not doing Akwa Ibom a favour by developing the Deep Seaport; rather, Akwa Ibom is offering us a space to develop an export channel which I am going to develop.”

Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, who was the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, campaigned in Uyo in October 2022. However, reports of his campaign promises at the rally focused on national economic recovery, security and unity, rather than a specific commitment to construct the Ibom Deep Seaport. He promised to build a refinery in Akwa Ibom.

Atiku, however, promised in February 2023 to complete the deep seaport project in Bonny, Rivers State, if elected president.

Decades-old project

The Ibom Deep Seaport was conceived during the administration of former Akwa Ibom Governor Victor Attah. The project was intended to create a major maritime and industrial hub in the state’s coastal area.

Its proposed location spanning the Atlantic Ocean in Mbo and Ibeno local government areas is expected to provide access to international shipping routes and support trade, industrial development and employment.

Despite repeated political commitments, the project has yet to materialise.

Mr Obi’s latest statement did not provide a construction timeline, financing arrangement, implementation framework or details of the proposed federal and state government partnership.

He also did not indicate whether his pledge was based on any existing approval or agreement with the relevant federal maritime agencies.

In his Facebook post, Mr Obi also pledged investments in healthcare and education, improved national security, the fight against corruption and measures to lift Nigerians out of poverty.

Source

Tinubu promised to do this but failed, instead focusing on constructing more seaports in the SW region.

I trust Peter Obi to get the job done and not play trickery and regional politics with it.

He said his proposed administration would begin efforts to upgrade ports across the Niger Delta, including those in Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar, while commencing construction of the Ibom Deep Seaport in Akwa Ibom and establishing a new port in Bayelsa State.

Sapele port nkor, Mr. Peter Obi? Before some of those mentioned places, Sapele port has been in existence but had been abandoned by successive governments. Yes, the people in these places will vote for you even if they weren’t promised all these, but you need to make Sapele a priority in your developmental agenda as well as the other parts of the country.

The same obi that can't show one single project he brought to his agulu village as governor for 8 years.

Baba rest. Stop yourself.

yarimo:
The same obi that can't show one single project he brought to his agulu village as governor for 8 years.

Oya as per obi spoke man kindly tell us meaningful project obi brought to his village as governor of anambra state for 8 years

Nice2023:
Baba rest. Stop yourself.

yarimo:
Oya as per obi spoke man kindly tell us meaningful project obi brought to his village as governor of anambra state for 8 years

Agulu did not elect obi alone..Anambra did..Obi is not your average my village my region politicians
.

The whole.of Anambra felt Obi..not just Agulu...

Ur messua tinubu awards all naija big contracts to only lagos, not even south west..that is the kind of man u adore..

Petty man..grow up!!!

Peter Obi is talk and do

I too love the confidence in him

Oya list his achievement as governor of small anambra state

bigpicture001:
Agulu did not elect obi alone..Anambra did..Obi is not your average my village my region politicians
.

The whole.of Anambra felt Obi..not just Agulu...

Ur messua tinubu awards all naija big contracts to only lagos, not even south west..that is the kind of man u adore..

Petty man..grow up!!!

Someone that could not build a jetty in Anambra for 8 years is talking about building a deep sea port. 😊😃😊😃

A Better akwa ibom is possible with obi as president

I wonder why the people of south south are so docile about their ports not functioning. I was telling this same thing to my Urhobo friend today.

Akpabio being senate President couldn't even make Ibom Deep Sea port to start functioning.
Tompolo and Delta State governor are busy making noise instead of ensuring that Warri and Sapele ports start functioning. A lot of people don't know that all ships docking in Apapa and Tincan passes through Escravoes before getting to Lagos.
Wike is making noise yet he can't get the FG to upgrade Onne Sea ports. The ports in South South is only good for exporting their oil but not good for other commercial activities
What an abberation?

Pipers dream as he can never ever become Nigeria president

A former governor who find it hard to reference to his own achievements to score political points.

Nigerians can never allow a calamity like Peter Obi as their president. Never

Peter Obi or nothing. The only reliable man for the job.

HacheNoire:
Someone that could build a jetty in Anambra for 8 years is talking about building a deep sea port. 😊😃😊😃

the pain of how the scammer scammed you is in you

bigpicture001:
Agulu did not elect obi alone..Anambra did..Obi is not your average my village my region politicians
.

The whole.of Anambra felt Obi..not just Agulu...

Ur messua tinubu awards all naija big contracts to only lagos, not even south west..that is the kind of man u adore..

Petty man..grow up!!!

Did his succesors erase all his achievements in Anambra? How come both Obi and his supporters are struggling to point out to his achievements.

Peter Obi can only rule in any of the South East Nigeria, outside the region, ordinary national councilor position, he can never win it

yarimo:
The same obi that can't show one single project he brought to his agulu village as governor for 8 years.

Lucky boy! Everywhere he goes, there is always someone ready to hold his hands.

Just imagine trying to sell Tinubu to any right-thinking person. Be prepared to lose a few brain cells in the process!

How can any reasonable person expect someone who cannot even stand on his own to lead millions of people?

Unless, of course, you have completely sold our conscience to evil.

helinues:
Pipers dream as he can never ever become Nigeria president

A former governor who find it hard to reference to his own achievements to score political points.

Nigerians can never allow a calamity like Peter Obi as their president. Never

you know am allergic to useless comments.why na

Go and build in Anambra first

Yea I heard he also promised to pay everyone 500k monthly....

He will soon promise us free entry to heaven any time we like to visit and cum back

Very beautiful, Nigeria need to decongest Lagos as quickly as possible, make nobody come cry for here oo.

This same Obi who believe saving money in bank is better than investing in infrastructure. He has no long term vision and if he ever presides over Nigeria, the country will be on stand still. I can bet it that he will be so confused when he sees the enormous problem confronting Nigeria. He lacks idea, unreliable and unstable when it comes to policy making, and his human-management skill is poor.

Omo!!!!!


Na THIS ONE BE THE REAL heart attack ooooooo!!!!

APC is Finished in Akwa IBOM and Cross River oooo!!

Tinubu promised Akwa Ibom 'deep sea port" and even refused to approve it. Instead he gave OGUN STATE "Deep Sea port"

Yarimo and co will avoid this thread..

Peter Obi , smashed this one !!!

Lamba chief Don talk again

⁷let him show us what he did as a governor first

Lamba don cast tueh

Go sleep...

If there was NO money in the bank saved by sensible people, how will Dangote get the SYNDICATED LOAN that made him build his refinery and other businesses?

Sharaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap, all these Tinubu supporters sef.

badoh:
This same Obi who believe saving money in bank is better than investing in infrastructure. He has no long term vision and if he ever presides over Nigeria, the country will be on stand still. I can bet it that he will be so confused when he sees the enormous problem confronting Nigeria. He lacks idea, unreliable and unstable when it comes to policy making, and his human-management skill is poor.

He should also construct a port at AKWUZU RIver.

Kalashnikov49:
Omo!!!!!


Na THIS ONE BE THE REAL heart attack ooooooo!!!!

APC is Finished in Akwa IBOM and Cross River oooo!!

Tinubu promised Akwa Ibom 'deep sea port" and even refused to approve it. Instead he gave OGUN STATE "Deep Sea port"

Yarimo and co will avoid this thread..

Peter Obi , smashed this one !!!

Atleast he did it in another state.

Wat can agulu fraud boost of as a governor for 8yrs?

Na TINUBU dey pay "audio" money..

People know PO will deliever...

Dont you want Akwa IBOM to have deep sea port?

Jmichael1:
Yea I heard he also promised to pay everyone 500k monthly....

He will soon promise us free entry to heaven any time we like to visit and cum back

Akwa IBOM port..TINUBU stole it and gave Ogun State.

He wants VOTES abi?

Jmichael1:
Atleast he did it in another state.

Wat can agulu fraud boost of as a governor for 8yrs?