Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, says his administration is creating a full Ministry of Aviation and Airport Development to drive growth and sustain operations in the state’s aviation sector.

He made this known during a briefing at Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo on May 3, 2026, directing the new ministry to begin work immediately.

“To sustain the work that has so earnestly begun in this airport I’m hereby announcing the creation of a full ministry of aviation and airport development to start work immediately,” he said.

The governor said the ministry will focus on maintaining infrastructure, ensuring quality staffing, and meeting required aviation standards.

“Their job is clearly cut out for them. Aviation is under the federal law so we are creating no new law but we have the right to maintain what we have, to sustain it, to ensure the quality of staff that will be engaged there to work, to ensure that we maintain all of the protocols that is required to get this ecosystem to function,” he said.

He said the ministry will also work to attract more airlines and strengthen partnerships to position the state as an aviation hub.

“The commissioner will ensure that they network and bring other airlines so that this place will be truly an aviation hub that we desire it to be,” he said.

Governor Eno said there will be a transition phase involving the Ministry of Special Duties, Ibom Air, and consultants.

“It will take a period of transition from the ministry of special duties. They will work hand-in-hand with Ibom Air itself and the consultants; it will be a whole lot of work,” he said.

He said a substantive commissioner will be appointed based on competence and professional experience in aviation.

“This is not about politics, this is about professionalism. It doesn’t matter where this person will come from, whether from the east or west, north or south of Akwa Ibom; we will get somebody who understands the business of aviation,” he said.

The governor directed the Managing Director of the Ibom Airport Development Company Limited to oversee the ministry in the interim, pending formal appointments.

“But in the interim I hereby direct the Managing Director of the Ibom Airport Development Company Limited to take charge of this new ministry and by next week the head of the civil service will post a permanent secretary to begin work. 

“He has the experience, he has the expertise to take off the work that this ministry carries until we are able to find a substantive commissioner whose name we will submit to the house of assembly for clearance,” he said.

He added that airport operations must continue without disruption.

“The work to keep this place running, yo keep this place clean, to keep this place up to date begins now,” he said.

Governor Eno again acknowledged past leaders for their contributions to the state’s aviation development.

“Let me at this point celebrate and thank our past leaders for the vision and foundational work they did culminating in the epochal moment we are joyfully witnessing today,” he said.

He credited former governor Victor Attah for initiating the airport project, Senate President Godswill Akpabio for constructing the initial terminal wing, and former governor Udom Emmanuel for establishing Ibom Air and developing the international terminal.

“Leadership is supposed to be a relay race and at each time they handed over the baton, every one of them continued the race until this moment,” he said.

Faridah Abdulkadiri