Peter Obi Promises to Begin Ibom Deep Seaport Construction if Elected President

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has pledged to begin construction of the long-delayed Ibom Deep Seaport in Akwa Ibom State if elected president, renewing attention on a project that has featured in the campaign promises of successive presidential candidates.

Obi made the commitment in a Facebook post on Saturday following his visit to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Friday, where he attended a homecoming ceremony organised in honour of Senator Seriake Dickson, a national leader of the NDC.

He said his proposed administration would begin efforts to upgrade ports across the Niger Delta, including those in Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar. He also promised to commence work on the Ibom Deep Seaport in Akwa Ibom and establish another port in Bayelsa State.

“In Bayelsa, I pledged that we would begin efforts to upgrade ports throughout the Niger Delta, including those in Warri, Port Harcourt, and Calabar. We will also begin construction of the long-delayed Ibaka seaport in Akwa Ibom State and establish a new port in Bayelsa State to serve our riverine communities and the broader Niger Delta more effectively,” Obi wrote.

The pledge places Obi among several presidential candidates who have promised to deliver the project, which was originally conceived as the Ibaka Deep Seaport and Industrial City. President Bola Tinubu also promised to build the seaport during his 2023 presidential campaign in Akwa Ibom.

At an All Progressives Congress campaign rally at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on January 30, 2023, Tinubu told supporters: “We will do mechanised farming. We will export food from Akwa Ibom. We will build your deep seaport.” He cited the Lekki Deep Seaport, developed during his time as Lagos State governor, as an example of what he hoped to achieve in Akwa Ibom.

Tinubu’s pledge was followed by further assurances after he became president. In January 2024, Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno said the president had asked him to submit a memorandum seeking Federal Government support for the project. In March 2026, Eno again referred to the president’s assurances, saying Tinubu had repeatedly told him, “I will give you the Ibom Deep Seaport.”

Obi had also promised to develop the facility during his 2023 presidential campaign. At a Labour Party rally in Uyo in December 2022, he said he would ensure the project was delivered if elected, describing the repeated promises surrounding it as unacceptable. In a January 2023 interview with Vanguard, he argued that developing the seaport would benefit the country by creating an export channel rather than simply serving Akwa Ibom.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the Peoples Democratic Party, also campaigned in Uyo in October 2022. Reports of his promises at the rally focused on national economic recovery, security and unity, while he pledged to build a refinery in Akwa Ibom. In February 2023, he separately promised to complete the deep seaport project in Bonny, Rivers State, if elected president.

The Ibom Deep Seaport was conceived during the administration of former Akwa Ibom Governor Victor Attah as a major maritime and industrial hub. Its proposed location spans the Atlantic coastline around Mbo and Ibeno local government areas, with the aim of supporting international shipping, trade, industrial development and employment.

Despite repeated political commitments over the years, the project has yet to materialise. Obi’s latest pledge did not include a construction timeline, financing arrangement, implementation framework or details of a proposed partnership between the Federal and Akwa Ibom State governments. He also did not specify whether the commitment was based on existing approvals or agreements with relevant maritime authorities.

In the same Facebook post, Obi outlined other proposed priorities, including investments in healthcare and education, improved national security, efforts to tackle corruption and measures aimed at reducing poverty.