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"The Akwa Ibom Project involves attitudinal re-orientation;
cultivation of a positive mindset; instilling self-confidence through massive empowerment
of our people; and the inculcation of the moral values of hard work, courage, honesty,
service and pragmatic peaceful co-existence"
- Akpabio
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The cultural commonality is also epitomized in the similarities in folklore, songs,
dances, food, beliefs and mythology. The people are predominantly of the Christian
faith although some native African religions are practised by some.
In terms of lifestyle the people are industrious, resourceful and hospitable.
Akwa Ibom people are farmers, craftsmen, and merchants. A majority of the rural
populace engage in farming. Other traditional occupations of the people are fishing,
trading, hunting, wood-carving, raffia works, blacksmithing, pottery, iron works,
tailoring, and crafts creation.
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Akwa Ibom State is located in Nigeria's Niger Delta, with a population
of 3,920,208, a land area of 6,900 sq Km, lying between latitudes 4°
32’ and 5° 33’ north and longitudes 7° 25’ and 8° 25’ east, comprising 31 local
government areas with Uyo as state capial. Major urban centres include Uyo, Eket, Ikot
Ekpene, Abak, Ikot Abasi and Oron.
Major ethnic groups are Ibibio, Anang, and Eket. The vegetation is characterised
by three easily distinguishable types namely saline water swamp forest, fresh water swamp and rain forest.
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People
Akwa Ibom State is made up of a homogenous group of people believed to have originated
from a single ancestral stock. The languages spoken in the state are closely related,
and the Annang and Ibibio languages are mostly identical with a few dialectical
differences. The Eket and Ibeno languages are more closely related to each other
than to the other two, and are only partially understandable by speakers of the
other two languages.
The Ibibio are the largest group, whilst the Annang, which form the second largest
group, speak a language very similar to the Ibibio Language. Ibeno and Eket speak
a similar language, and are located by the ocean. The Ibibio language belongs to
the Benue-Congo language family, which forms part of the Niger- Congo group of languages.
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Social Infrastructures
The 30 local government atreas in Akwa Ibom State are hosts to hotels, hospitals,
schools, banls, and tourist attractions.
The state has a great network of roads that make the entire state easily accessible
from any corner by land.
Amongst the better known traditional arts of Africa are those of Akwa Ibom State.
This is evident in the archeological findings of anthropologists. Raffia and cane
craft have developed in the State to the extent that Ikot Ekpene, the main cluster
of raffia craft in the Town is known as the ‘Raffia City’. While in Ikot Andem Itam
in Itu, cane craft is more of a passion than an art.
Akwa Ibom is a rich tourism destination offering unrivalled wealth of scenic landscape,
long sandy coast, a wealth of wildlife and culture. Plus a warm and friendly people,
known for their exceptional culinary skills.
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Natural Resources
Akwa Ibom State with a landmass of 6,900 sq Km is endowed with enormous wealth. The
land is arable from the saline water swamp forest in the South, to the rainforest
in the North and supports extensive agriculture all year round.
There are large deposits of oil and gas both on and offshore. Other mineral resources
such as limestone, clay, gold, salt, coal, silver nitrate and glass sand are also
found in commercial quantity.
A very clement tropical climate, marked by two distinct seasons – the rainy and
dry seasons combine with sound political and social conditions to create the right
environment for new investments. The climate of the state allows
for favourable cultivation and extraction of agricultural and forest products such
as palm produce, rubber, cocoa, rice, cassava, yam, plantain, banana, maize, and
timber.
Our soil is host to a number of mineral resources
that can be commercially exploited. There are both the metallic and non - metallic
minerals which have been fairly distributed across the various local government
areas of the state.
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Investing
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Geography & Location
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Investment opportunities abound in Akwa Ibom State in areas of commerce, industries,
agriculture, housing, hotels and tourism. The state government has given incentives
for the development of medium and large scale industries. Through the generous provision
of condusive environment to encourage local and foreign investors.
The huge financial asses and leading investment of the Government in ICT; the industry
and research- based Akwa Ibom State University of Technology (AKUTECH); the Ibom
Science Park and a branch of the Stock Exchange in Uyo, the State capital, are added
incentives for investors of global standing
Although the state is mineral - rich, agriculture is the bedrock of its economy.
It employs about 70 percent of the state's workforce. Most are engaged in subsistent
farming. The industrial sector is small and is dominated by government owned companies.
The private sector is active in the service areas, although a few industries are
privately owned.
There are a number of oil companies operating in the state. Ibeno is the operational
headquarters of Exxon-Mobil. Shell, Elf and Chevron are here along with the leading
oil services company like Daewoo and Costain.
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Akwa Ibom State lies between latitude 4°32’ and 5°33’ North; and Longitudes 7°25’
and 8°25’ East. In terms of structural make up, Akwa Ibom is triangular in shape
and covers a total land area of 6,900 sq. km, encompassing the Qua Iboe River Basin,
the western part of the lower Cross River Basin and the Eastern part of the Imo
River Basin. With an ocean front which spans a distance of 129 kilometers from Ikot
Abasi in the west to Oron in the east, Akwa Ibom presents a picture of captivating
coastal, mangrove forest and beautiful sandy beach resorts.
Akwa Ibom shares boundary on the North with Cross River and Imo States, on the south
with the Atlantic Ocean. To the east with Cross River State and to the south-west
with Rivers and Imo States. The location of Akwa Ibom just north of the Equator
and within the humid tropics and its proximity to the sea makes the state generally
humid. On the basis of its geographical location the climate of Akwa Ibom State
can be described as a tropical rainy type which experiences abundant rainfall with
very high temperature.
The physical relief of the State is basically flat. However, there are places in
Itu and Ibiono Ibom Local Government Areas where the topography is undulating with
some areas as high as 200 feet above sea level. The landscape
of Akwa Ibom is mostly flat. This is because the underlying geology of the state
is predominantly coastal plain sediments. The coastal nature of the state makes
it the natural deposit of mosaic of marine, deltaic, estuarine, lagoonal and fluvio-
lacustrine material.
The climate of the state allows for favourable cultivation
and extraction of agricultural and forest products such as palm produce, rubber,
cocoa, rice, cassava, yam, plantain, banana, maize, and timber. As with every Nigerian
coastal area, the state experiences two main seasons, the wet and the dry seasons.
The wet or rainy season lasts between eight to nine months starting from mid- march
till the end of November. The dry season has a short duration of between the last
week of November or early December and lasts till early march.
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