- Ibom Deep Seaport to Provide 300,000 Jobs
The Ibom Deep Seaport, when fully completed, will provide over 300,000 jobs, the Akwa Ibom State Government has said.
The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, was quoted in a statement as saying this, where he also promised development for the people of Oron community in the state.
The statement added that most local government areas in Oro were neglected by past administrations, a situation that led to the underdevelopment of the locality.
According to the statement, the deep seaport is a bold attempt to change the maritime story of the state, adding that it holds the promise of an industrial revolution.
The deep seaport, it said, “holds the promise of the industrialisation of AkwaIbom; it holds the promise of the creation of over 300,000 jobs; it holds the promise of a self-sustaining commercial city with oil and gas support services.
“It holds the promise of us finally tapping into our awesome and largely untapped maritime potential. The Ibom Deep Sea Port will be an industrial mix that will pump our economy to its highest calibration of performance like it is in other climes.”
To facilitate the development of the Oron community, the wife of the state governor, Mrs. Martha Emmanuel, was said to have, through her pet project, Family Empowerment and Youth Reorientation Programme, laid the foundation of a seafood processing factory in Ibaka Beach, Mbo Local Government Area.
According to the statement, Martha said the project was born out of her desire to reach out to women in the fishing communities, noting that it was in fulfilment of the campaign promises she made to the women of Oron.
She said the factory would boost the economic activities of the community, while adding value to the lives of the residents.