President Bola Tinubu has approved the long-delayed Ibom Deep Seaport project in Akwa Ibom State, announcing it on Friday at a rally in Uyo after the governor tied it to two million votes for his re-election.

The approval came at an APC rally at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, where Governor Umo Eno asked the President to back the seaport, pledging: "Give us Ibom Deep Seaport, we will deliver two million votes." Tinubu asked the crowd "Will you vote?" before declaring: "Okay, It's approved." He also approved upgrading Victor Attah International Airport to international standards.

Decades in the making

The seaport is not a new proposal. It was conceived under former Governor Victor Attah (1999–2007) and has featured in the state's plans ever since. In December 2020, the Federal Executive Council approved the first phase, then put at $2.016 billion, with the whole project at about $4.6 billion.

Progress has come this year. On 20 May, Nigerian Ports Authority chief Abubakar Dantsoho said the Federal Government had cleared approval, certification and compliance for five deep seaports, including Ibom, Badagry, Olokola, Bakassi and Bonny. In June, Eno travelled to Paris for technical talks with Africa Global Logistics on the project.

Approval is not construction

But the announcement is not proof the port will be built. The project's website still lists it at the Full Business Case and procurement stage, and no financing agreement, concession contract, financial close or construction start date was disclosed.

The design envisages an 18.24-metre channel, a 16.72-metre berth and about 7.5 kilometres of quay, built for New Panamax-class vessels. Critics note Tinubu promised the same port in his 2023 campaign, and lawyer Inibehe Effiong has called the renewed announcement political deceit. Eno says the port would unlock the state's economy and the wider South-South region.