More than 2,000 people have been engaged daily for about a year in the construction of three major projects in Uyo, injecting fresh economic activity into Akwa Ibom State, Governor Umo Eno has said.
The Governor said the International Convention Centre, Ibom International Hotel and ARISE Shopping City were already generating economic benefits before their completion through employment and increased commercial activities around the project sites.
Eno disclosed this on Thursday while briefing members of the Government House Press Corps after inspecting the three ongoing projects in Uyo.
He said the employment generated by the projects had also contributed to peace and security by keeping thousands of people economically engaged.
Beyond the immediate construction jobs, the Governor said the completed facilities would create a wider economic chain through tourism, hospitality, retail, conferences and increased movement of visitors and investors into the state.
He said the projects were designed to provide the infrastructure required to translate Akwa Ibom’s tourism potential into sustainable economic opportunities for its people.
“I am happy that there is visible progress and we thank God for what we see on ground,” Eno said, noting that the International Hotel and International Conference Centre were conceived about 16 years ago.
The Governor said the International Convention Centre, with a capacity for about 5,000 people, would contain 12 breakout rooms, a restaurant and other facilities capable of supporting large-scale conferences and events.
According to him, such facilities would enable the state to host major gatherings while creating demand for accommodation, transportation, food services, retail and other businesses.
Eno linked the projects to his administration’s ARISE Agenda, particularly its focus on tourism development and youth empowerment, saying the facilities would help expose Akwa Ibom to international visitors and potential investors.
“What we are seeing here is part of development. If this is a state capital, and we want tourists to visit, we must have the facilities to accommodate them by developing those facilities to international standards,” he said.
The Governor expressed satisfaction with the pace of construction and commended the contractors for sustaining work on the projects.
He said the state was looking forward to completing and commissioning the facilities on schedule so that their wider economic benefits could begin to accrue to residents and businesses.
The inspection was attended by the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah; Executive Assistant/Chief Delivery Advisor, Aniefiok Johnson; Commissioner for Works, Prof. Eno Ibanga; Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah; other members of the State Executive Council and government officials.
