Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has carried out an inspection of the almost completed ARISE Palm Resort in Uyo, touring the facility and riding one of its newly installed amusement roller coasters alongside commissioners and aides.
The inspection took place late Thursday night, as the governor assessed ongoing work on the multibillion-naira tourism project located near the Government House in the state capital.
The Ibom ARISE Park and Resort, previously a ravine, has been transformed by the state government into a major leisure and tourism destination under the administration’s ARISE Agenda.
Governor Eno has repeatedly described the project as a flagship initiative aimed at positioning Akwa Ibom as a leading tourism hub in Nigeria, featuring recreational facilities such as playgrounds, a golf course, artificial lakes, accommodation units, and event spaces.
The project, awarded to Bulletin Construction in 2024, is reportedly scheduled for inauguration in September 2026 and has received substantial budgetary allocations running into tens of billions of naira across 2025 and 2026 fiscal plans.
However, concerns have been raised over transparency, as publicly accessible procurement records and contract details for the project are reportedly not available on the state’s official procurement platform.
Critics have pointed to gaps in disclosure requirements under the state’s procurement law, which mandates that government contracts and related details be published online for public accountability.
Despite these concerns, the state government maintains that the project remains a key component of its development agenda and will contribute significantly to tourism and economic growth in Akwa Ibom.
