The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, has said his administration has not borrowed any money from financial institutions in the past two years, despite undertaking numerous infrastructure projects across the state.
Speaking on Friday during his investiture as Patron of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in Uyo, the state capital, Governor Eno explained that all projects have been funded from existing resources.
“As we stand today, we have not in the last two years borrowed a dime from anybody,” the governor said. “We have been building a serving pool from the funds that came to us to be able to seamlessly finance our projects and development.”
He credited President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms for boosting national and state revenues. “This wouldn’t have been possible if our President didn’t take some serious decisions to maximize the revenue of the country and that of the states,” Eno added.
The governor said the state is investing heavily in tourism, with major projects underway including the reconstruction of a 5,000-seat International Conference Centre, a 200-room world-class hotel, and a new shopping city.
“We believe our programmes towards diversification of our economy are tilting towards tourism,” Eno said. “We are developing tourism assets across the State that will make any visitor want to spend time here.”
Governor Eno’s comments came as he was officially inducted as a Patron of the NIPR. Accepting the honour, he pledged to uphold the institute’s values and support its mission to promote public trust and professionalism in public relations.
The NIPR’s President and Council Chair, Dr Ike Neliaku, described the role of Patron as a “guiding light” for promoting ethical standards and national reputation-building.
The investiture was part of the Nigerian Public Relations Week, held under the theme: “Beyond Headlines: Harnessing Public Relations for Economic Renaissance.” The event drew political leaders, state officials, and public relations professionals from across the country.