Viral News Portal
Viral News Portal
Environmental and Maritime Rights (EMR) has urged Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State to establish a Ministry of Blue Economy to harness the state’s maritime resources for economic growth, job creation and increased revenue generation.
According to the group, Akwa Ibom possesses vast maritime assets capable of transforming its economy if managed through a dedicated institutional framework.
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has intensified efforts to attract investors to the Ibom Deep Seaport project, holding strategic meetings in Paris, France, aimed at accelerating implementation and positioning the state as a major trade and logistics hub in the Gulf of Guinea.
The governor, on June 5, 2026, met with executives of Africa Global Logistics (AGL) Group and members of the Ibom Deep Seaport Technical Committee to review the Technical Feasibility Report prepared by Worley Parsons, as part of moves to transition the project from planning to execution.
Anatolia Energy and Services Limited, operator of Petroleum Mining Lease (PML) 104/Okiori Oilfield, has organised a three-day leadership development programme for members of the Nembe Okiori Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) as part of efforts to strengthen the Trust’s capacity to drive sustainable development across its host communities in Nembe Kingdom, Bayelsa State, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
The capacity-building programme covers key areas of HCDT management, including strategic leadership, management skills, teamwork, legal and regulatory frameworks guiding Host Community Development Trust operations, stakeholder management, and communication.
Media professionals and stakeholders have called for the creation of a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in Akwa Ibom State, the decentralisation of solid minerals exploitation, and stronger media involvement in driving investment and development narratives around the state’s natural resources.
The resolutions were reached at a one-day symposium organised by the Association of Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals in collaboration with the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), Abuja, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), held at Eden Hotels Limited, Eket, on May 20, 2026.
The Provisional Committee of the proposed Nigerian Coast Guard (PC-NCG) has alleged that vested interests are deliberately seeking to retain control of Nigeria’s maritime sector at the expense of transparency and national interest.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Dr Piriye Kiyaramo, quoted the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of PC-NCG, Capt. Noah Ichaba, as saying that arguments against the creation of the Nigerian Coast Guard contradict verifiable operational realities.
Akwa Ibom State is widely recognised for its abundant crude oil deposits, but beyond petroleum lies another enormous economic asset capable of transforming the state’s future — the blue economy.
Blessed with extensive coastal resources, rivers, creeks, estuaries, and marine ecosystems, the state possesses significant aquatic wealth that remains largely untapped despite its immense economic potential. Stakeholders believe that, if properly developed, the blue economy could become a major driver of industrialisation, job creation, tourism, and sustainable economic growth in the state.
The Institute of Corporate Leadership and Mentorship (ICLM) successfully hosted its 2026 Policy Evaluation and Advocacy Forum (PEAF) on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Vision Hall, ICLM Headquarters, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, under the theme, “Beyond Oil: Redefining the Future of Nigeria’s Tourism Industry.”
The forum critically appraised tourism development in Akwa Ibom State in line with the ARISE Agenda of the current administration
More than 6,208 maritime service companies operating along Akwa Ibom’s coastline are reportedly functioning without a centralised state regulatory framework, raising fresh concerns over the absence of a dedicated Ministry of Blue Economy.
Stakeholders in the maritime and energy sectors said the lack of such a ministry is undermining effective governance of one of the state’s most strategic economic assets, despite Akwa Ibom’s vast coastal advantage and expanding maritime investments.
The Energy and Maritime Reporters of Nigeria (EMR), Akwa Ibom State Branch, had its maiden meeting, pledging to promote transparency, sustainable development, and stronger stakeholder engagement in Nigeria’s energy and maritime sectors.
At the meeting on Saturday morning, 16 May 2026, moderated by the National Chairman, Comrade Martins Giadom, members reaffirmed their commitment to professional, investigative, and solution-driven journalism aimed at deepening public understanding of issues in the oil, gas, energy, and maritime industries.
Environmental and civil society groups have accused oil companies of abandoning decades of pollution in the Niger Delta as multinational firms divest from onshore operations without adequately addressing environmental damage.
Ahead of the fifth Niger Delta Alternatives Convergence (NDAC) scheduled for 14 May in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) said nearly 70 years of oil and gas extraction had left the region with devastated ecosystems, polluted rivers, destroyed farmlands and contaminated drinking water.