From Solomon Essiet
The Arise Agenda, the blueprint of the Golden Era administration, has proven to be more than a campaign document. It has become a working framework for governance under Governor Umo Eno.
Since assuming office, Governor Eno has methodically reshaped the development narrative of Akwa Ibom State. Through people centered projects executed simultaneously across all 31 local government areas, the administration has pursued a deliberate repositioning of the state, not just within Nigeria but on the global map.
The pillars of the Arise Agenda are clear, Agricultural Revolution, Rural Development, Infrastructure Management and Advancement, Security Management, and Educational Advancement. These are not isolated ambitions. They touch every sector of society and reflect a holistic understanding of modern governance. It is a comprehensive 21st- century policy direction, and its phased implementation explains the steady momentum the administration has maintained.
What stands out most is the inclusive spread of development. For the first time in the state’s history, major projects are unfolding concurrently across all 31 local governments. No region can convincingly claim marginalization in appointments, infrastructure distribution, or access to public resources.
More than 1,200 kilometers of roads have reportedly been constructed across the state. Over 365 ARISE Compassionate Homes have been delivered to vulnerable citizens. About ₦80 billion in inherited gratuity backlogs has been paid. Model primary schools and model healthcare centers are being established across local government areas. These are not symbolic gestures; they are measurable interventions.
Leadership, at its core, requires attentiveness to the yearnings of the people. On this score, Governor Eno has built his style around listening and reconciliation. In a political climate, once defined by division, he has pursued inclusivity, drawing leaders across divides to the same table. Governance without bitterness, without a winner takes all posture, has defined his tone.
Like the biblical King Solomon, whose reign was marked by structure and order in its early years, Governor Eno appears to have prioritized stability, economically, socially, and politically, before expanding outward with development. The peace currently enjoyed in the state has provided the foundation for that expansion.
Tourism has emerged as one of the administration’s major investment fronts. The planned full international upgrade of Victor Attah International Airport, expected in April 2026, pending federal processes, is central to that vision. An internationally certified airport in a fast growing state carries undeniable economic implications, trade, hospitality, aviation services, and foreign inflows.
Akwa Ibom already boasts one of West Africa’s most impressive sporting facilities, the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. Complementing this is the Arise Palm Resort project, situated on approximately 70 hectares of reclaimed land and envisioned as a premium hospitality and leisure destination. Alongside it are the 5,000 capacity convention centre, the Ibom International Hotel, and the Arise Shopping City, clustered to create a modern tourism and business ecosystem.
These investments signal ambition. They reflect a state seeking to define itself not by rhetoric but by infrastructure and visibility.
As for past controversies and distractions, Akwa Ibom appears determined to move forward. Governance is ultimately judged by results, not noise. History, in the end, is kinder to tangible progress.
Akwa Ibom is rising, steadily, strategically, and visibly.
Arise, and let the work continue.
Pastor Solomon Essiet, ACIA is the
Special Assistant on New Media to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State
