Governor Umo Eno has once again demonstrated that he is not afraid to dream big. At the just-concluded Akwa Ibom Electricity Summit, he laid out an ambitious roadmap, one that promises every household in the State quality electricity by 2034. On paper, the vision is bold, structured, and inspiring. But the real question is this: will it move from summit rhetoric to tangible light bulbs glowing in our homes and industries?
The proposed Akwa Ibom State Electricity Regulatory Commission (AKSERC) and the Electrification Agency (AISEA) are laudable. If truly independent, they can end the era of opaque tariffs, lopsided licensing, and bureaucratic manipulation that has crippled Nigeria’s power sector for decades. The Governor’s pledge that recruitment will be transparent and professional, without political interference, sounds refreshing. But Nigerians, and Akwa Ibomites in particular, are not strangers to sweet promises that collapse under the weight of vested interests. Only time and strict adherence to meritocracy will tell.
More commendable is the Governor’s insistence on rehabilitating Ibom Power Company, establishing a State-owned distribution company, and creating a formal electricity market in Akwa Ibom. This is forward-thinking. It signals readiness to wrest control of our energy destiny from a failed federal monopoly. Add to this the 20% renewable energy target, and you have a roadmap that could genuinely position Akwa Ibom as a model for electricity reform in Nigeria.
But here’s where Straight Talk must step in: 2034 is ten years away. In a country where government projects are routinely abandoned once the next administration takes office, such a long horizon invites skepticism. What guarantees exist that this vision won’t end up as another glossy document gathering dust in Uyo’s government archives? The Governor promises immediate milestones within 24 months—rehabilitation, commercialisation, licensing, consumer rights enforcement. These short-term targets must be achieved first if the public is to take the 2034 vision seriously.
Electricity is not about grammar; it is about power in sockets, welding machines buzzing, factories humming, cold rooms running, and children doing homework without kerosene lamps. If Governor Eno delivers even half of what he has promised within the next two years, confidence will build. But if it remains at the level of conferences, communiqués, and committees, Akwa Ibomites will dismiss it as another political jamboree.
The Governor is right: government cannot do it alone. Private sector investment, consumer responsibility, and protection of infrastructure from vandalism will determine success. However, leadership must lead. Without sincerity, competence, and ruthless accountability, the 2034 dream will remain just that, a dream.
Akwa Ibom deserves light. The Governor has set the ball rolling. Now, we will hold him to his word.
