Despite the oil-rich Akwa Ibom earning N1.1 trillion in 2024 -- the highest in its history and the third-largest revenue among Nigerian states after Lagos (N2.36 trillion) and Delta (N1.38 trillion) -- much of Uyo's infrastructure now lies abandoned
There was a time Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, sparkled.
The water fountains at Ibom Plaza, Itam Flyover, and Aka Road near the Sacred Heart Catholic Parish, all in Uyo, were symbols of pride -- glowing at night, reflecting a city once known for beauty and thoughtful planning. People visited to take pictures, relax, and enjoy the calm of a well-managed urban space.
Infrastructure left to decay amid trillion-naira revenue
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Despite the oil-rich Akwa Ibom earning N1.1 trillion in 2024 -- the highest in its history and the third-largest revenue among Nigerian states after Lagos (N2.36 trillion) and Delta (N1.38 trillion) -- much of Uyo's infrastructure now lies abandoned. The city is struggling, not because it lacks money, but because maintenance and public welfare appear to have taken a back seat.
Waste now sleeps where water once danced.
Today, most of the fountains tell a sad story. The ones at Aka Road and Ibom Plaza are covered in thick, green algae. The fountain at Itam Flyover has become a dumping ground, filled with plastic bottles, sachet water wrappers, and other waste.
The only fully functioning water fountain observed at the time this report was done is the one at Nwaniba, near the end of Edet Akpan Avenue. Two others--Nung Oku and Oron Road by Ring Road III--only come alive when an influential politician is visiting, commercial tricycle and minibus operators said.
"Wait till when (President Bola) Tinubu comes, it will work," said Anietie Akpan, a tricycle rider.
"The two do not work except when a big politician is coming. They will quickly fix it since it is located on the airport road," Sunny Okon, another tricycle rider, corroborated.
When our reporter visited the fountains between Monday and Tuesday, none were running.
Decaying Ibom Plaza
Ibom Plaza, once the heartbeat of Uyo, now smells of neglect. Flowers that once brought colour are dying. Grasses have taken over the flowerbeds. The once-celebrated fountain is dead and forgotten.
The old First Bank building, where military officers provide security, also paints a troubling picture, surrounded by growing weeds on sand-filled cement bags.
Months after government officials forcibly removed small business owners from the area, with the promise of redevelopment, nothing has changed. No repairs. No upgrades.
Only silence -- and decay.
"The Uyo we knew is gone": Residents express outrage
Across the capital, potholes now define the roads.
From Udoete Street to Itam Park Road and the Atiku Abubakar Flyover, and from Jimbo Secondary School Road near the Itam police station to Aka-Itiam and Nwaniba Road -- the city's streets are riddled with large, deep craters.
Driving has become a gamble. Rainwater hides the depth of potholes, leading to damaged tyres, broken suspension systems, and near accidents.
Residents say they have had enough.
"The Uyo that we knew is gone!" wrote Anita Thinktanklady on Facebook. "Potholes have become the order of the day, waste is forgotten, and flooding is worse with each rainfall. We are back to 2007," said Anita.
"It is a pathetic condition. Nwaniba Road is the worst," Freki Asuquo-Etim, a Facebook user, writes in the comment section.
"My tyre almost busted at Four Lanes because of the rain," another Facebook user, Sultan Unyime Henry, lamented in the comment section of the post.
The frustration is growing. And so is the anger.
A city is ignored, while politicians receive luxury SUVs
Despite the worsening state of infrastructure, the Akwa Ibom government has prioritised purchasing brand-new SUVs -- not for public transport, but for politicians.
Beneficiaries include political party chairpersons, former deputy governors, and federal lawmakers -- even though the federal lawmakers already received official vehicles from the federal government.
The 2025 Akwa Ibom budget reveals that each of the 13 SUVs purchased for federal lawmakers costs N100 million, totalling N1.3 billion -- separate from the Land Cruisers distributed by Governor Eno to former deputy governors on 25 September and party chairpersons.
"I wish to express profound gratitude to Governor Umo Eno for the generous and thoughtful presentation of brand new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado vehicles to each of us serving in the 10th National Assembly," Patrick Umoh wrote on Facebook on 24 May, and went further to describe the action as "a rare act of leadership."
The contrast is glaring: a crumbling capital city, yet billions spent on luxury vehicles for a privileged few.
A month ago, following public backlash after PREMIUM TIMES' report on the deteriorating roads in the state, Governor Eno directed the Ministry of Works to begin an assessment of roads for repairs. But weeks later, nothing has changed -- no contractors are on site, and no repairs are underway.
'What's happening in Uyo?' - Skit maker speaks on deplorable roads
A popular skit maker in Akwa Ibom, known as Local Man, filmed the potholes near St. Luke's Hospital along Nwaniba Road. In his video, he pointed to the worsening road conditions and said, "This (is the) road, the governor, commissioners, and secretary to the state government pass to the five-star hotel."
Walking to the next lane -- also damaged -- he asked: "What is happening in Uyo that potholes have taken over everywhere?"
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The question reflects residents' growing discontent with the state of infrastructure in Akwa Ibom. "It has not started. This is just the beginning," Uduak Edet, a Facebook user, wrote.
Before the silence becomes permanent
What residents are demanding is not luxury. They want a thriving city -- one where roads are repaired, fountains are maintained, and the beauty of public spaces is restored. A city where water flows in fountains, not potholes.
For now, Uyo stands as a fading memory -- a place once admired, now slowly swallowed by neglect.
Government response
When contacted, Commissioner for Information Aniekan Umanah attributed the delayed commencement of repairs on potholes to rainfall.
Mr Umanah, a former federal lawmaker, said the governor had recently told the people of the Aka Itiam community that he was considering a "comprehensive approach" to solve the flood challenge in the area.
"I don't know who runs on fountains during the rain," Mr Umanah said of the dead fountains across the state.
When reminded that one of the fountains is functional despite the rain, Mr Umanah insisted that "it's been raining very much".
"We are moving towards dry season and Christmas, when fountains work, and I can assure that those fountains would serve their purposes," he added.
