Friday August 7, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng
By Destiny YOUNG
Governance is best understood through its effect on ordinary lives. A new road that helps a farmer reach the market, a functional health centre in a rural community, a decent classroom for a child, or a home for a vulnerable family says more than a long political speech. This practical understanding of leadership has increasingly defined the administration of Pastor Umo Eno in Akwa Ibom State.
Pivotal in his government is the ARISE Agenda, built around agriculture, rural development, infrastructure, security, education and healthcare. Its real strength lies in how these priorities connect. Roads open communities. Better schools strengthen human capital. Healthcare protects families. Agriculture creates livelihoods. Security gives businesses and communities room to prosper.
That connection is now visible across the state. This administration’s third-anniversary account reports more than 1,300 kilometres of completed and ongoing roads, with 40 bridges. The focus has extended beyond major urban centres to feeder roads, rural markets and projects that support the movement of people, farm produce and services. It is a deliberate effort to make development reach every local government area.
Education has received similar attention. Model primary schools are being built with solar power, computer laboratories and teachers’ quarters. The state continues to fund free and compulsory education at the primary and secondary levels, pay public examination fees and support students in tertiary institutions through bursaries. The recruitment of teachers also recognises a simple truth: modern buildings cannot replace qualified people in the classroom.
In healthcare, model primary health centres are being developed across the 31 local government areas. Gov Umo Eno’s administration has recruited thousands of health workers, expanded health insurance enrolment and commenced the 350-bed Ibom International Hospital. These investments show a government thinking about access today while preparing for more complex medical needs tomorrow.
For me, the most compelling part of Governor Eno’s record may be its human face. Through the ARISE Compassionate Homes initiative, hundreds of vulnerable families have received dignified housing. Elderly citizens receive monthly support, while food assistance and livelihood programmes provide relief to households facing economic pressure. These interventions do not solve every hardship, but they show that government can see people beyond statistics.
Public service reform and workers’ welfare have also remained important. This has settled more than ₦83 billion of the inherited gratuity backlog. The introduction of the Treasury Single Account, stronger scrutiny of public procurement and investments in critical personnel reflect an effort to improve efficiency and accountability within government.
There is growing evidence that these reforms are receiving external recognition. In July 2026, the state reported receiving a $6.2 million performance-based disbursement under the World Bank-assisted SABER Programme following its performance in the 2024 assessment. The 2026 state budget also drew priorities from needs identified during town square engagements across the ten federal constituencies. That is how public planning becomes more responsive.
From Ibom Air and airport development to agriculture, tourism, skills acquisition and the Deep Seaport drive, the broader goal is clear: build an economy capable of creating opportunities beyond government employment and oil revenue.
No administration is beyond scrutiny, and genuine support should leave room for honest assessment. Still, the direction under Pastor Umo Eno deserves recognition. He is bringing governance closer to the people, strengthening public institutions and translating the ARISE Agenda into projects that citizens can see and use. In doing so, he is steadily pushing the frontier of governance and public service in Akwa Ibom State.
