Tinubu recalls Mobil days, calls Akwa Ibom home

File photo: President Bola Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has recalled his days as an auditor with Mobil in Akwa Ibom State, describing his visit to the state as a homecoming.

Tinubu said he had worked in the state before becoming President, recalling his involvement in activities that he said contributed to the development of Ibeno and Eket.

“This is a homecoming for me. I was here in Akwa Ibom as a Mobil auditor. We built Ibeno, developed Eket, and did what we had to do. I never dreamed that I would become president to commission an airport named after my then-colleague governor (Victor Attah),” he said.

The President spoke during his visit to Uyo on Friday.

Tinubu arrived in the state to inaugurate projects executed by Governor Umo Eno’s administration, including the international terminal building at the Victor Attah International Airport, an international airport hospital and the Ibom Aviation Village.

Other projects scheduled for inauguration include the Airport-Okopedi Road, connecting communities in Nsit Atai and Okobo Local Government Areas; Ring Road 3, linking Idoro Road to Ikot Ekpene Road through Uyo and Ibiono Ibom; the AKWA-GIS Office Complex, Command and Control Centre and ARISE Palm Resort.

The Victor Attah International Airport was established during the administration of the former governor, who governed the state between 1999 and 2007.

The airport was initially known as Ibom International Airport before it was renamed after Attah in November 2018 by his successor, Udom Emmanuel, during a banquet organised to mark the former governor’s 80th birthday.

PUNCH Online reported that the Federal Government upgraded the facility to international airport status in November 2025, following its assessment by the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

The airport subsequently commenced international operations, with Ibom Air launching its maiden international flight from Uyo to Accra, Ghana, in May 2026.

Tinubu’s visit also comes amid preparations for the 2027 general elections and follows Eno’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress in June 2025.

The governor has declared support for Tinubu’s re-election bid, with the President also scheduled to attend an APC rally at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

Tinubu’s connection with Akwa Ibom dates back to his career in the oil industry.

He joined Mobil Oil Nigeria after working with accounting and consultancy companies, including Deloitte and GTE Corporation, and rose from the company’s audit department to become its treasurer.

In a 2012 interview with P.M. News, Tinubu disclosed that he was initially recruited into Mobil’s Corporate Audit Department in the United Kingdom and subsequently sent to Nigeria to audit the company’s operations.

He said he later accepted a position in the Nigerian operation after being persuaded by some of its executives.

Mobil, through its joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, undertook several infrastructure projects in Akwa Ibom, including road construction, electricity and water supply in communities around Eket and Ibeno.

Mobil later became part of ExxonMobil following the 1999 merger between Exxon and Mobil.