Governor Umo Eno has restated his administration’s commitment to overhauling Akwa Ibom State’s power sector, with the 31 local government chairmen expressing support for the reform agenda.
The governor spoke on Friday, April 3, 2026, during a special meeting at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo. The meeting brought together members of the State Executive Council, local government chairmen and the state’s technical consultant on power to review progress from the September 2025 Power Summit and consider the next phase of electricity reforms.
Eno said the state was moving steadily with the implementation of the roadmap developed at the summit. He said stable, accessible and sustainable electricity would only come through a deliberate and coordinated process.
He said the government had already taken strategic steps that would soon begin to produce results, and urged stakeholders to remain patient and supportive.
The governor also praised the local government chairmen for their cooperation, saying stronger collaboration between the state and council areas was vital to the success of the development agenda.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Umanah, said the Akwa Ibom State Electricity Regulatory Commission had been established. He added that the names of commissioner nominees would soon be sent to the State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.
Umanah also said the state was not planning to sell Ibom Power Company. Instead, he said the government was considering a concession model that would preserve public control while drawing in private sector capital, expertise and efficiency.
The state’s technical consultant on power, Eyo Ekpo, said Akwa Ibom occupies a distinct position in Nigeria’s electricity sector. He said the state is one of only two in the country to have developed a grid-connected power plant since 1999, and the only one to have retained ownership of its 191-megawatt Ibom Power Company.
Ekpo said the reform process had been structured and legally grounded, guided by the principle of policy first, law second, and disciplined execution.
He said Ibom Electricity Holding Limited had now been incorporated to serve as the holding company for the state’s electricity assets, including Ibom Power and interests in PHED. According to him, the company will manage the state’s shares and investments in the power sector.
He also said the government was planning temporary solar-powered off-grid solutions to improve electricity access in rural communities and other underserved areas.
To drive implementation, Governor Eno announced a seven-member committee headed by the Executive Assistant and Chief Delivery Advisor, Aniefiok Johnson.
Other members are the Commissioner for Power, Hon. Iniobong Robson, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Frank Archibong, ALGON Chairman, Dr Uwemedimo Udo, Chairman of Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, Elder Aniefiok Nkom, and Chairman of Ibeno Local Government Area, Hon. Mrs Glory Ekah Effiong.
The committee has been given two weeks to submit its report.
The meeting marked another step in Akwa Ibom’s effort to reposition its electricity sector for wider access and long-term stability.
