Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has commissioned a 5.5-kilometre road network and erosion-control project around Udo Inwang Road in Uyo as part of activities marking the state’s 39th anniversary.
The project, commissioned on Wednesday by Deputy Governor Akon Eyakenyi on behalf of the governor, comprises 11 adjoining roads within the Udo Inwang axis.
The intervention is expected to improve accessibility within the area, strengthen connectivity to major parts of Uyo and address the longstanding erosion problem that had threatened homes and other properties in the neighbourhood.
Speaking at the ceremony, Eno said the project demonstrated his administration’s commitment to delivering infrastructure with direct impact on residents.
He said each of the state’s 31 local government areas could point to at least one road project under his administration.
According to the governor, the Udo Inwang project was the ninth project commissioned as part of activities marking Akwa Ibom’s 39th anniversary.
“This project is another demonstration of our administration’s commitment to implementing projects that directly impact the lives of the people,” Eno said.
The governor said the road network would also improve access to major parts of Uyo metropolis, including the nearby Arise Palm Resort.
He said his administration’s interventions were not limited to physical infrastructure, but also included empowerment programmes targeting traders, farmers, women and youths.
Eno urged residents to protect government projects and ensure that completed infrastructure was not abused.
He specifically warned against dumping refuse in drainage channels, saying the practice could undermine efforts to control flooding and erosion, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.
The governor said persons caught dumping refuse in drainage channels would be arrested and handed over to the relevant authorities.
He also urged communities to take ownership of public infrastructure by protecting and maintaining projects delivered by the government.
Giving an overview of the project, the Commissioner for Works, Prof. Eno Ibanga, said the intervention was largely necessitated by the severe erosion that had affected the Udo Inwang axis.
Ibanga recalled that the erosion problem had become critical by the time Eno assumed office, with the ravine consuming several houses, including the residence of the Village Head of Ewet Offot.
He said the governor subsequently directed the Ministry of Works to tackle the problem decisively.
According to the commissioner, the intervention eventually paved the way for the development of the Arise Palm Resort and the restoration of the surrounding road network.
Ibanga explained that fixing Udo Inwang Road also required the government to rehabilitate other failed roads in the area, resulting in the construction of the 11 roads that make up the 5.5-kilometre network.
“These 5.5 kilometres are made up of 11 roads constructed in the whole of this environment, so that when you enter anywhere now, you have free access to the main arteries of this city,” he said.
The Udo Inwang project is part of a wider programme of 39 projects being commissioned across Akwa Ibom to mark the state’s 39th anniversary.
The anniversary programme cuts across roads, healthcare, education, youth development, aviation and other public infrastructure, with projects spread across different local government areas.
For residents of Udo Inwang and adjoining communities, the road project represents an intervention in both transportation and environmental management.
The durability of the project, however, will depend on sustained maintenance, effective drainage management and residents’ cooperation in preventing practices such as indiscriminate waste disposal that can compromise flood-control infrastructure.
