Industralisation in Akwa Ibom State, 1987 - 2017: An Assessment

At its creation in 1987, Akwa Ibom State was dubbed the “Land of Promise”. The new state was touted by most people as the panacea for the indigene’s development problems. The promise inherent in this expectation was that of rapid infrastructural development as well as enhanced standard of living. It was an admission that, finally, the process of effective and efficient exploitation of the abundant human and natural resources in the state had commenced. One crucial sector that was expected to help drive the vision of the rapid development was the industrial sector. Indeed, at its creation, Akwa Ibom inherited about 10 industries from the old Cross River State, though many were ailing. This was in addition to the Newsprint Manufacturing Company at Oku Iboku. There were also a few private small and medium-scale industries. With its rich natural and human resources, it was expected that the dreams would soon be fulfilled. Succeeding governments have come out with various policies and measures in this area; yet, the industrial dream appears to be far from being achieved. This paper is an assessment of the industrial programmes of Akwa Ibom State since 1987. The paper notes that some administrations in the state made empty and unfulfilled promises about the industrialization agenda. It recommends that the industrial agenda should be re-visited and anchored on the existing blueprint to drive the development of the state. The paper adopts a historical narrative method.