By Lucy Daniel
At 38, Akwa Ibom State stands as one of Nigeria’s most remarkable sub national stories, an example of what vision, resilience, and leadership can achieve, even within the challenging context of a developing federation.
The journey of Akwa Ibom is not merely about dates and milestones; it is a living narrative of a people who have consistently turned adversity into opportunity. From the migration of the Ibibio, Annang, Oron, Eket, and Obolo peoples centuries ago, through the disruptions of colonialism, to the relentless agitation that culminated in state creation in 1987, one thing has remained constant: the determination of the Akwa Ibom person to move from “glory to glory.”
Why Akwa Ibom Matters in Nigeria’s Story
In less than four decades of statehood, Akwa Ibom has gone from obscurity to becoming a reference point in sub national governance. With Ibom Air, the country’s first state-owned airline, thriving against all odds, and with ambitious projects like the Ibom Deep Seaport in the works, the state has demonstrated that Nigerian states can build sustainable institutions when political will align with strategic vision.
Akwa Ibom is also a study in infrastructure-driven transformation. Victor Attah laid the blueprint for an industrial economy; Godswill Akpabio’s “uncommon transformation” turned Uyo into a modern capital; Udom Emmanuel industrialized the economy while opening Akwa Ibom skies to the world; and Umo Eno is now refocusing attention on rural development, tourism, and people-centered growth.
In a country where sub national governments are often criticized for over dependence on federal allocations, Akwa Ibom has shown flashes of innovation, from entrepreneurship acceleration programmes to community-based tourism initiatives.
The Lesson for Africa
Beyond Nigeria, Akwa Ibom’s evolution speaks to Africa’s broader developmental challenge: how to translate resource wealth into human capital, infrastructure, and inclusive growth. The state’s successes, like Ibom Air, prove that African sub national units can compete globally if they pursue niche strengths with discipline. Yet, its struggles, particularly around equitable distribution of resources and rural poverty, remind us that development must be people-centered to be sustainable.
From Glory to Glory, But Not Yet Done
Anniversaries are moments of pride, but also of sober reflection. At 38, Akwa Ibom must now ask the harder questions: How do we ensure that growth reaches the fishing communities in Oron, the farmers in Ikot Ekpene, and the women traders in Eket? How do we make industrialization not just a slogan but a lived reality? And how do we ensure that the next decades of progress are not built on oil rents alone, but on innovation, human talent, and sustainable industries?
For me, the story of Akwa Ibom is best captured in the words of a proverb: “The child who knows where he is coming from will walk farther than the one who does not.” Akwa Ibom knows its history; it remembers its struggles; and it is determined to walk even farther into a future where its glory is not just a slogan but a lived experience for all its people.
At 38, the message is clear: Akwa Ibom has come of age, but the journey of resilience and renewal must continue.
Lucy Daniel is SA to the Governor on Media.
