PDP Governorship Candidate Unveils Plan To Drive Akwa Ibom’s Industrial Growth
By JULIET EKANEM
THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Engr. Emem Coffie, has promised stronger support for small and medium-scale enterprises if elected governor in 2027.
He said his administration would improve access to affordable credit for traders and entrepreneurs. The initiative, he explained, would help business owners expand their operations and create more economic opportunities.
Speaking with journalists in Uyo on Sunday, Coffie also proposed establishing cottage industries across the state’s local government areas. He said the industries would create jobs, process locally available raw materials and increase residents’ incomes.
According to him, Akwa Ibom possesses abundant human and mineral resources that could support wider economic development. However, he argued that the state needed to convert these resources into productive businesses and sustainable employment.
He identified palm oil processing and the production of briquettes from palm kernel waste as promising opportunities. In his view, both activities could provide a foundation for small-scale industrial development.
Coffie also called for a return to what he described as Akwa Ibom’s original development master plan. He argued that successive administrations should continue projects initiated by their predecessors instead of abandoning them whenever political leadership changes.
Among the projects he highlighted were the proposed deep seaport, science park, airport, road network and power plants. He maintained that the state should revisit its long-term development priorities and complete projects capable of generating lasting economic benefits.
Although he recognised the importance of road construction, Coffie insisted that infrastructure alone could not eliminate unemployment and poverty.
“Road construction is interesting but road construction does not put food on the table of people,” he said.
He said his proposed development agenda, titled “A New Drive Back to the Genesis,” would prioritise human capital development, industrialisation, skills acquisition and support for small businesses.
Explaining the idea behind the initiative, he called on residents to return to the original development master plan and pursue its implementation.
“When I say Genesis, let’s go back to that master plan and start to execute it all over again,” he said.
Coffie urged Akwa Ibom residents to support his governorship ambition in 2027. He said his goal was to move the state and its people to a higher level of development across different sectors.
