Saturday August 8, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng
Work has intensified on the 18-storey Ibom Towers being constructed by the Akwa Ibom State Government in Lagos, with an assurance that the structural component of the building will be completed by August next year.
This was disclosed when Governor Umo Eno made an unscheduled visit to the project site on Abayode Cole Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Friday.
Governor Eno said he was impressed that the project was gradually taking shape despite initial setbacks, but urged the contractors to double their efforts to deliver within the projected timeline.
“I had said that when next I come here I must climb up this floor. I’m happy that the contractors have made it possible for me to stand on the ground floor. It gives me some relief,” he said.
“The building is mainly for commercial use and Akwa Ibom wants to participate in the property market in this country.
“This project will increase the State’s IGR. You know that Lagos and Abuja are the best places to invest in the property market and to diversify from dependence on crude oil money.”
The Governor maintained that the boom in the oil industry may not last for long, hence the need to create long-term benefits from the State’s assets across the country.
Governor Eno, who was pleased with the number of Akwa Ibom indigenes working at the site, announced that the State Statistician General will soon visit the project location for a comprehensive update on the impact of the project.
In separate interactions with newsmen during the visit, the Managing Director of the contracting firm, Western Legacy Construction, Mr. Kunle Adedigba; the Lead Architectural Consultant, Arc. Victor Akpan; the Structural Engineering Consultant, Engr. Murray Ekong; the Quantity Surveyor, Chief Tony Ndah; and another representative of the contracting firm, Mr. Marco Carta, all assured the Governor that the project, having overcome initial difficulties, will now witness remarkable and speedy progress.
Assuring further, Mr. Kunle Adedigba said:
“Timelines for project delivery will be honoured. It has a very small space and it is a tall building, but we are doing our best.
“From this ground floor, we will deliver a floor every three weeks until we have a review in December.
“By December, we will review to know whether to stay on the existing timeline or improve on it.
“We are building 18 floors and what is most important is quality and safety,” Mr. Adedigba said.
Explaining further, the Structural Engineering Consultant, Engr. Murray Ekong, said the seemingly slow pace was due to the need to provide a solid foundation for the project.
“When we came here, we noticed that the soil was very poor and looked almost like toothpaste. We had to put in a solid foundation structure for this building. More than a hundred piles were installed.
“We also had to protect the neighbourhood. When you are excavating and digging deep, you know there is a basement in the structure that is over four metres deep. When you dig that deep, it pulls the soil from all the neighbourhood.
“So we had to build retaining walls to ensure that it did not affect the buildings around us.
“That takes a lot of time and that is why it appeared that the work was slow.
“We have overcome that now and, as you can see, we are on the ground floor. Henceforth, every three weeks, you will see a new floor and by this time next year, the structure of the high-rise will be in place,” Engr. Ekong said.
On the employment of indigenes of the State, the Lead Architectural Consultant, Arc. Victor Akpan, disclosed that despite the project being executed far from home, it has engaged several Akwa Ibomites in both managerial and technical roles who have benefited from the opportunities created by the development.
