The government of Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria is seeking federal backing for the development of the Ibaka Deep Sea Port through a PPP project.

The government has announced that it has acquired a total area of 14,900 hectares for the Ibaka Deep Seaport PPP project.

Godswill Obot Akpabio, the governor of Akwa Ibom, has solicited the involvement of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for the development of the project as a public private partnership.

The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) is the National governing body in Nigeria for Public Private Partnership (PPP) process. One of the objectives of the ICRC is to build a pipeline of public infrastructure investment projects using the Ministries, Departments and Agencies that are high priorities for Federal Government of Nigeria and which can attract private sector investment.

Governor Akpabio stated:

Whatever support that may be required to ensure that a big ocean going Liner comes to the port by 2015 will be provided by the state government. The Ibaka Deep Seaport would change the matrix of the unemployed in the country; it will attract investors to the state

We have worked really hard to fast-track the emergence of Ibaka Deep Seaport, which has a free trade zone. We have also received a license from the Federal Government for the commencement of the project.

The governor also said that they will award a contract for the dualisation of the port main access road with a view to making it more intermodal.

The Ibaka port would be between 17 and 18 meters draught without dredging and  its quay area would span over two miles. On completion, mega vessels of over 10,000 TEUs will be calling at the port.

Ports Authority officials said that the agency will partner with Akwa Ibom state to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is provided.

Akwa Ibom is a state in Nigeria named after the Qua Iboe river. It is located in the coastal South-Southern part of the country. It is one of Nigeria's 36 states with a population of over 5 million people and more than 10 million people in diaspora.