MARINE AND BLUE ECONOMY INVESTMENT: X-RAYING GOVERNOR UMO ENO'S BOLD SIGNATURE IN ORO NATION BEYOND POLITICAL STATEMENT

 

BY Edet Okpo & Nature- Udo Substance 

The ongoing construction of Oron Marine Terminal Project certainly Speaks a lot about Governor  Umo Eno's developmental mindset, his sincere love for Oro ethnic Nationality and the State government’s lofty intentions to diversify the economy through the Blue Economy corridor.

A real-time walk around the busy project site revealed even more than what has been said by Governor Umo Eno at different fora or published in the media about this massive undertaking by the Akwa Ibom State Government. Until you have visited the site, you may not have known exactly what is going on there. It is simply amazing. This can be said without any sentiments or fear of contradiction. 

As part of activities crowning the just concluded 3-Day Media Symposium on the theme: “Communication Dynamics and Corporate Governance in Akwa Ibom State”, organized by the Association of Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals in collaboration with the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, University of Uyo, held at Eden Hotel, Eket, Akwa Ibom State between June 26 and June 28, 2025, members of the Organisation, led by the Chairman, Elder Edet Okpo undertook an inspection tour of key Infrastructural projects under the ARISE Agenda Of Pastor Umo Eno- led administration.

That was on Monday,  June 30, 2025. One of such projects inspected was the ongoing Marine terminal construction, Storage Facility, Cold Room, Car Bay, relaxation Center, at the Oron Urban beach. Funded by the Akwa Ibom State government, the project is supervised by the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Works and Fire Service, having awarded the contract in 2024 to JMK Company Limited  as main contractor. The project has the full title: “Reconstruction of Oron Marine Terminal, Shore Protection, Jetty, Warehouse, and Recreation Facility in Oron Local Government Area”. Although the groundbreaking for the project was performed by the governor just few months ago, the pace and quality of work done already are both encouraging and topnotch. 

 *Components of the Project* 

Addressing Media Professionals on tour of the project site, the Project Manager, Engr. Ime Ikono, said Oron and Akwa Ibom State as a whole were in for a boom never experienced since the creation of the State. He listed some of the critical components of the project to include Industrial storage facility/cold room for perishable goods; warehouse; shopping malls; car bay with capacity for 2000 vehicles; floating bar; terminal building; mechanic shop. Besides, according to Engr. Ikono,  the Oron river, which presently is 12metres deep, will be dredged to 15metres, to accommodate cargo ships that will ply the route. The project is located adjacent to the National Museum near the old main Oron beach.

 *Engr. Ikono Gives More Highlights* 

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"This is a massive investment with many conventional components. We will have Industrial storage facility/cold room for perishable goods; warehouse; shopping malls; car bay with capacity for 2000 vehicles; terminal building with complete components for total comfort for travellers; mechanic shop, etc. There is also a floating bar. You know it is not everyone who would be coming here to travel. Others would also be here for relaxation purposes. That will be another beautiful spot that will attract a lot of people to this place.

“We will also have a joint tax force (JTF) office. That is particularly meant to ensure that the place is fully secured. We are constructing the cargo ship somewhere in Port Harcourt. We have another one that is also under construction for movement of vehicles. It is a double-deck ship that will take about 20 vehicles and also convey human passengers.

“There is provision for a wide public park that can accommodate up to 2,000 vehicles at the same time. We are going to alsphat the whole area. Thereafter this river that presently is about 12metres deep will be dredged to 15metres"

The deadline for completion of the project, the Project Manager hinted, is December 2025. He however tied that  possibility to timely payment of compensation to property owners by the government. He assured that Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been done, thus allaying concerns in that regard 

 *Anticipated Benefits* 

Engr. Ime Ikono said on the completion of the project and commencement of activities something new will happen in Akwa Ibom State as the terminal shall become a hub for tourism, boost revenue of the State, create employment and other chain value effects. He said Oron Terminal will be  like a spin-off to the anticipated Ibom Deep Seaport. "I see this as a mini seaport before the Ibom Deep Seaport shall have become a reality", he envisaged.

 *Background to Oron Terminal Initiative* 

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On assumption of office, Gov Eno had said that the ARISE Agenda blueprint was aimed at sustaining and diversifying the State's economy. One of such was maximizing the State's huge natural and marine endowments in lunching it as a national and global player. However, while efforts to actualize the Ibom Deep Seaport were ongoing, pragmatic attention was also to be given to the Oron Terminal as a stopgap initiative at subnational level. 

In March, 2025, 

Governor Umo Eno flagged off the construction of Oron Maritime Infrastructure Project, with a reassurance that his administration was committed to restoring trading jetty in Oron Local Government Area.

Performing the exercise at Oron Beach, Idua Assang, in Oron Local Government Area, the governor maintained that it was an effort at revival of commercial activities at the Oron beach.  

“Today, the story is about to change. We can say emphatically that with the launching of the maritime infrastructure which we are gathered here to perform that Oron is back! We are also restoring the inter-state passenger transportation between Calabar, Cross River and our State, which was one of the defining features of this town, with two passenger ferries.

“The sum total of what we are witnessing here today, is the turning around of the economic fortunes of the people of Oro, which is in line with my campaign promises,” 

 *Other Projects Visited** 

Other places visited as part of the tour were the Nsit Atai-Okobo Road; Okobo- Uya Oron road, Model Primary Schools in Okobo, Eket , Oron, and the newly constructed Chairman's Lodge in Eket Local Government Area, Model Health Centre in Udung Uko among others.

 *Concept of Blue Economy* 

Blue economy as a concept embodies "the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem. It encompasses all economic activities related to the ocean, seas, and coastal regions, including sectors like fishing, aquaculture, tourism, and maritime transport. Well harnessed, blue economy brings about balance economic benefits with environmental protection and social equity. 

Categorically, blue economy is a holistic and innovative approach to sustainable development that leverages the ocean's resources responsibly. Efforts are placed on sustainable resource use, ecosystem preservation, and social inclusion within the context of oceans and coastal areas. Hence, the key sectors would include a wide range of industries, including fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, maritime transport, offshore renewable energy, and marine biotechnology. Hence, it can create jobs, boost economic growth, and improve livelihoods in coastal communities, with ripple no effect on other areas.

 *Putting Things in Place* 

Safe to say that the creation of the Ministry of Special Duties and Ibom Deep Seaport was essentially targeted at making real government's intentions for a renaissance in the Blue Economy. 

 Foreseeing the gains, the governor had said during the flag-off: "You can be rest assured that we will fulfill our part of the bargain to the contractor. And we look forward to coming back here soon".

As an icing on the cake, the governor's strides had since attracted global attention. Earlier in May 2025, the governor was invited to the International Conference on Ocean Rise, held in Nice, France. Akwa Ibom is now a member of the United Nations Organization on Ocean Rise Collaboration. 

Stakeholders and partners are already describing the governor's vision as a new dawn in the blue economy development of the State. This much  was said during the Maritime Trade and Logistics Sensitisation Workshop in Uyo, which had the theme: “Harnessing the Economic Potentials of Blue Economy Value Chain in Akwa Ibom State for Productivity and Sustainable Growth.”

Association of Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals

The Association of Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals is a duly registered Media Advocacy group with over 400 seasoned and award-winning media professionals, Communication Scholars, Credible Social Media bloggers with the mandate to promote accountability, transparency and impact in governance, and thereby serving as a megaphone in championing specific and collective interests of Akwa Ibom State. It is publisher of The Scorecard Magazine that monitors, documents and promotes government policies, programmes and landmark strides. It had carried out Special documentary  of all the Projects of the immediate past administration in the State in two series. 

 *The Media Symposium* 

According to the Chairman of the forum, Comrade Edet Okpo, three 3-Day Media Symposium, which had the award-winning Journalists and Publisher of NewsAfrica,  Moffat Ekoriko, as Keynote Speaker, was aimed at honing the skilsets of members and other invited media practitioners in a vast changing professional space and expectations. Prof. Peter Esu, Professor Charles Obot, Professor Herbert Bartha, and Dr. Nsikak Idiong, all of the University of Uyo, delivered lectures. 

 *Grand Summary and Projection** 

The Oron Terminal Project was perhaps the flagship of the inspection tour by the group.The quick take is that this commendable initiative by the Umo Eno-led administration is proactively preparing Oro Nation and indeed Akwa Ibom State for a boom bound to change existing socioeconomic narratives and boost the diversification discourse of the State’s development. The Deputy Governor, Senator Dr. Akon Eyakenyi must be commended and appreciated for her Support to Governor Umo Eno in ensuring that the Oron marine terminal project Which had been her dream project has been made possible by Oro Nation - friendly Governor, Pastor Umo Eno Ph.D

*Written by Edet Okpo and Substance Udo-Nature who were part of the Inspection Tour.