UYO — Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno has declared that his administration will not waste the state’s money on economically unviable projects initiated by his predecessors. The Nation reported the governor’s position on Monday. Eno said fiscal responsibility requires difficult decisions about which inherited projects deserve continued investment.
The governor said some projects inherited from previous administrations were designed more for political visibility than for genuine economic impact. He said completing such projects would consume resources that are better deployed on new initiatives with clearer development outcomes for Akwa Ibom citizens.
Eno’s stance on inherited projects is unusual in Nigerian governance, where incoming administrations typically feel obligated to complete predecessor projects regardless of their economic merit. His willingness to publicly abandon unviable projects reflects a different approach to state resource management.
Akwa Ibom’s Development Priorities
Akwa Ibom is one of Nigeria’s oil-producing states and a beneficiary of derivation funds. However, the state has historically struggled to translate oil wealth into broad-based development. Infrastructure outside Uyo, the capital, remains limited. Healthcare and education facilities in rural local government areas are underfunded.
Eno said his administration is conducting a comprehensive audit of all ongoing and proposed state projects. The audit will assess each project’s completion cost, expected economic return, and alignment with the state’s development priorities. Projects that fail the assessment will be formally abandoned or redesigned.
The governor’s approach has received mixed reactions. Contractors who are owed money on abandoned projects expressed concern about payment. Development advocates said the project audit is a sound governance practice that should be standard in all Nigerian states. Opponents accused Eno of using fiscal responsibility language as cover for political decisions.
