December 04, (THEWILL) — The Akwa Ibom State Government has commissioned the General Hospital, Ikot Akpankuk, Ukanafun Local Government Area, the first functional public hospital in the area since 1976.
Commissioner for Information, Dr Aniekan Umanah, who announced the development during the monthly media briefing in Uyo, described it as part of the government’s broad intervention in the health sector.
He said construction has also begun on eight additional general hospitals, 29 primary healthcare centres, and the State Molecular Diagnostics and Public Health Laboratory, aimed at strengthening disease detection and public health response across the state.
To support the expanding infrastructure, he said the government has approved the recruitment of 2,000 health workers who will be deployed to facilities statewide.
Umanah noted that the 2026 draft Appropriation Bill, totalling ₦1.390 trillion, allocates substantial funds to healthcare as a priority sector for the administration.
In the agriculture sector, he said the state has completed the renovation of the AKADEP facilities, which now function as an autonomous Agricultural Business Unit under the Office of the Secretary to the State Government.
The unit, according to him, will lead the state’s high-yield palm oil Tree Crop Revolution and other agricultural reforms intended to boost food production, expand value chains, and reduce dependence on imported staples.
He said the initiatives in both sectors are guided by needs identified during consultations across federal constituencies, adding that ongoing assessments and inspections are intended to ensure alignment with community priorities.
According to Umanah, the state government plans to sustain the pace of implementation to improve livelihoods, strengthen rural economies, and consolidate long-term development gains.
