Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Akwa Ibom State Government has said it spent a total of N879.22 billion on road and other infrastructure projects in the three years since Governor Umo Eno assumed office, covering 234 projects that include roads, bridges, erosion control interventions and electrical works.
The Commissioner for Works and Fire Service, Prof. Eno Ibanga, disclosed the figure on Thursday during an inter-ministerial briefing at the Akpan Isemin Hall, Government House, Uyo, held as part of activities marking Akwa Ibom at 39 and the third anniversary of the Eno administration. He said the projects comprise 234 roads, erosion control and intervention works, and 40 electrical projects, with a total road length of 1,159.63 kilometres at various stages of completion, alongside 352.83 kilometres of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project roads being executed under a World Bank-sponsored programme in partnership with the state government. "This gives us a total of 1,511.83 kilometres of roads done by the State Government presently," Ibanga said. The total amount spent on all the projects, both those initiated under the ARISE Agenda and those inherited from previous administrations, excluding RAAMP projects, is N879.22 billion.
A breakdown of the expenditure shows that N615.65 billion was spent on projects initiated by the present administration under the ministry's regular programme, while N131.86 billion went into emergency intervention projects and N131.71 billion was spent on inherited projects. The commissioner said the ministry had undertaken 105 inherited projects from previous administrations, comprising 47 projects funded through counterpart arrangements including 14 bridges, 51 direct-labour projects and seven erosion-control, electrification and related intervention projects. Of these, 57 have been completed and 15 commissioned by the present administration. The Eno administration also initiated 129 projects, including 114 road projects, 26 bridges and 15 erosion-control, electrification and other intervention projects. Of the newly initiated projects, 26 have been completed and 20 commissioned, with several others at various stages of completion.
Ibanga listed the achievements of the administration to include the completion of 105 inherited projects, completion of 129 ARISE Finance and General Purpose Committee projects, 43 RAAMP projects, road maintenance works, and reconstruction and reclamation works across the state. He said 16 road projects awarded in 2026 were being pursued with the intention of completing them before the end of the administration's second term, and identified 133 failed or distressed portions of roads requiring overlaying and patching works as part of efforts to improve road safety and maintain existing infrastructure. The commissioner also highlighted major ongoing 2026 projects, including the dualisation of the 7.64-kilometre Ndon Eyo-Ikot Akpatek Road, the 16.38-kilometre Nung Udoe-Afaha Offiong-Afaha Nsit Road and the 18.12-kilometre Afaha Offiong-Ikot Imo-Itreto Road, as well as road networks at the Itam Industrial Layout.
A significant component of the briefing was the administration's transition from diesel-powered streetlights to solar-powered systems. Ibanga said 6,386 solar streetlights had been installed out of 6,441 approved units under Phases One and Two, representing 95 per cent completion. The shift, he said, had reduced monthly diesel consumption for street lighting from about 150,000 litres, costing approximately N187.5 million, to 32,000 litres, costing about N40 million, a saving of 78.7 per cent. "Before migration to solar, diesel consumption was 150,000 litres per month, that is N187.5 million per month. After migration, it is now 32,000 litres per month, that is N40 million per month," he said. The commissioner also disclosed that the ministry generated N303,613,300 by the end of the second quarter of 2026 from Access Permit and Right of Way payments and sales of unserviceable items, representing 132.26 per cent of its N229,550,000 revenue target.
The infrastructure spending figures align with the state's broader budget priorities. The 2026 budget of N1.390 trillion allocated N387.5 billion to roads, bridges and related works, with the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning describing infrastructure as a significant chunk of the capital envelope. The Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, has said 74 per cent of the 2026 budget was allocated to capital projects, with 26.3 per cent to recurrent expenditure. Beyond roads, the state has constructed one model primary school and one primary healthcare centre in each of the 31 local government areas, and has completed more than 1,300 kilometres of roads with 12 bridges under the ARISE Agenda. In August 2026, the governor approved contracts for road projects covering 167 kilometres as part of a deliberate policy to boost rural development and connectivity.
The scale of the expenditure raises questions about fiscal sustainability and value for money that the administration has sought to pre-empt by emphasising transparency. Ibanga said the ministry maintained a comprehensive database showing the sources and expenditure on all projects, and that supervision, monitoring and evaluation were conducted to obtain value for money. The briefing was attended by the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, and formed part of a series of inter-ministerial briefings designed to present the administration's scorecard to the public as it marks three years in office.
Reactions from within the government have been positive, with the commissioner thanking Governor Eno for "diligently driving the infrastructure aspect of the ARISE Agenda" and for the budgetary releases to the ministry. The administration has framed the spending as proof of its commitment to the ARISE Agenda, its development blueprint. Critics, however, have questioned whether the expenditure has translated into proportional improvements in the living standards of residents, and whether the emphasis on roads and electrification has come at the expense of other critical sectors. The government has countered by pointing to parallel investments in education, healthcare and rural development.
The briefing comes as Akwa Ibom marks 39 years since its creation, with the administration presenting the infrastructure figures as a central element of its legacy. For the Eno government, the numbers are a political asset in a state where road connectivity and rural access are perennial concerns. The 234 projects, the 1,478.83 kilometres of roads delivered and the solar transition represent a substantial outlay by any measure, and the administration will be hoping that voters see in them evidence of delivery rather than mere expenditure. Whether the investment yields the economic dividends promised under the ARISE Agenda will depend on factors beyond construction, including maintenance, usage and the broader economic environment. For now, the government has placed its record on the table, and the figures speak to an administration that has made infrastructure the centrepiece of its first three years.
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