Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, on Friday said they had acquired 9,400 hectares of land for the construction of the proposed Ibaka Deep Seaport.
Akpabio made this known while speaking to newsmen in Abuja.
According to him, the Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, has assured the state that the final documentations for the development of the seaport are ready and will be presented to the Federal Executive Council soon.
“Ibaka Deep Seaport project is not dead and we have identified two major harbours that can take the deep seaport.
“Once it is presented to the Federal Executive Council and the next approval is given for the next stage, I believe we will now go into getting investors to show interest.
“For me, port development is not an affair for one year, it is something that we as a nation must resolve to actualise.
“Developing Ibaka deep sea port is not something that is beneficial to one state alone, rather the entire nation will benefit from there,’’ he said.
Akpabio said that the state had plans to invite President Goodluck Jonathan for the ground breaking of one of the major industry to produce fertiliser.
The ferliser industry known as Modular Urea Plant is located in Unyenge, Mbo Local Government Area of the state near the seaport.
He said it would also create more than 20,000 jobs for the country’s largely unemployed population, among others.
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