Citizens Assembly Pushes Bold Blueprint for Akwa Ibom’s Post-Oil Future, Unveils Reforms Across Agriculture, Tech and Blue Economy

 

The Citizens Roundtable for Good Leadership Initiative, popularly known as the Citizens Assembly, has unveiled an ambitious set of reforms targeted at repositioning Akwa Ibom State for life beyond oil. The proposals emerged from a three-day on-air summit aired live on XL 106.9FM, where experts from agriculture, technology and the maritime sector dissected new economic pathways for the state.

The summit, themed “Reimagining Akwa Ibom: Economic Prospects and Opportunities Beyond Oil,” drew specialists including agricultural consultant Dr. Clement Uwem, tech innovators Francis Onuk and Hanson Johnson, and maritime scholar Barr. Kingsley Ekwere. Over the three days — December 2nd, 3rd and 5th — the Assembly hosted robust discussions centred on modern agriculture, digital innovation and the Blue Economy.

On the opening day, panelists scrutinised the shortcomings of agribusiness in the state, lamenting poor continuity, weak market linkages and low youth participation. They argued that Akwa Ibom’s food system requires a shift to climate-smart and mechanised farming driven by data, experts and technology. The Assembly therefore urged government to modernise the sector by deploying drones, robotics, artificial intelligence and precision farming tools while making environmental impact assessments mandatory for all major agricultural projects. It also called for compensation for communities affected by land acquisition, revival of abandoned government farms and creation of a verified database of genuine farmers to enhance targeted support.

Discussions on Day Two spotlighted the fast-rising digital economy as the most scalable route to mass employment for young people. Experts maintained that Akwa Ibom’s youthful population can compete globally if given the right tools. They challenged government to revive abandoned ICT infrastructure, including the Ibom Science Park and the Victor Attah Digital Opportunity Centre, and develop world-class tech hubs capable of transforming the state into a continental innovation hotspot. Participants pressed for increased funding, improved broadband access, establishment of technology parks, and even high-performance computing centres for artificial intelligence testing and advanced digital research. Public schools, they insisted, must stop “teaching computer science on chalkboards” and instead provide functional ICT labs that deliver practical skills.

The third day focused on the Blue Economy, which panelists described as the state’s most underexploited goldmine. With the nation’s longest coastline, Akwa Ibom, they said, should be leading in fisheries, maritime transport, ocean tourism and renewable energy. The Assembly called for massive investment in maritime skills development, revival of water transport, stronger maritime security and global-standard environmental legislation to protect ocean resources. Delegates urged the government to partner international maritime institutions to build a competitive and modern blue-economy workforce.

Across the sessions, participants emphasised transparency, youth inclusion, cross-sector collaboration and sustained citizen engagement as vital ingredients for long-term development. They insisted that agriculture, ICT and the Blue Economy must receive urgent government attention if Akwa Ibom is to meaningfully break its dependence on oil revenue.

The Citizens Assembly concluded with a call on government, private sector actors and development partners to adopt the recommendations and support ongoing advocacy efforts aimed at getting more Akwa Ibom people into agribusiness, digital technology and maritime enterprise.

The communiqué was signed by Citizen Victor Albert, Citizen Uwem Okodi-yah, Citizen Michael Ita and Citizen Akanimo Victor, who described the summit as a critical step toward reshaping the state’s economic destiny.