Eno gave the assurance on September 9, 2026, when he received a delegation from the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), led by its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jennifer Adighije, at Government House in Uyo. The governor said the state would intervene to address outstanding obstacles and facilitate completion of the 330kV transmission line.
The project, identified as NIPP Lot 18, is expected to strengthen electricity transmission capacity across Akwa Ibom and contribute to efforts to improve power supply in the state. However, its completion has been delayed for years, with NDPHC identifying unresolved wayleave compensation owed to communities affected by the transmission infrastructure as one of the major obstacles.
Adighije said the project began about 20 years ago but encountered several challenges, particularly those involving compensation and community concerns. She appealed to the Akwa Ibom Government to help resolve the outstanding issues so that construction can be completed and the infrastructure put to use.
Eno's intervention comes as his administration is pursuing a broader restructuring of the state's electricity sector. In June, the governor inaugurated the Akwa Ibom State Electricity Regulatory Commission (AKSERC) and tasked it with overhauling the state's electricity market within 18 months. The state has also incorporated Ibom Electricity Holding Limited and begun steps toward establishing a dedicated electricity distribution subsidiary.
The NDPHC delegation welcomed the governor's willingness to intervene, describing the support as a significant boost to efforts to complete the project. The company also expressed readiness to work with AKSERC on developing an electricity market framework for the state.
The transmission project is important because improvements in electricity supply depend not only on generation but also on the ability to transmit and distribute available power efficiently. Completing a 330kV transmission line could therefore strengthen the infrastructure needed to move electricity across the state, although completion of the project alone would not guarantee uninterrupted electricity for consumers.
That distinction is important. The project has not yet been completed, and the governor's pledge represents an intervention intended to remove obstacles rather than evidence that the state's electricity problems have already been solved. The outstanding compensation and community issues must still be resolved before the delayed infrastructure can deliver its intended benefits.
For Akwa Ibom, the project also fits into a wider attempt to take greater responsibility for electricity regulation and investment following Nigeria's electricity-sector reforms. The state is seeking to build institutions capable of supporting generation, transmission and distribution while attracting investment into the sector.
The immediate challenge will therefore be turning the latest commitment into concrete action. If the compensation dispute and other outstanding issues are resolved and construction resumes successfully, the long-delayed project could become an important component of Akwa Ibom's plans to improve electricity infrastructure.
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