For 25 years, one ambitious idea sat dormant in Akwa Ibom: a science and technology park that could serve as the state’s launchpad into the global innovation economy. That idea, first conceived under former governor Obong Victor Attah, is now being resurrected with new energy, new partners, and a new identity:
Uyo Silicon Valley.
A private-sector–led, government-backed, science and technology ecosystem, Uyo Silicon Valley is positioning itself to become one of Nigeria’s most significant innovation hubs. And if its current momentum holds, the project could redefine what science parks look like across Southern Nigeria. The plan is to create a self-sustaining tech city where startups can build, scale, test, and trade globally without leaving Uyo.
I sat down with Iboro Otu, CEO of Silicon Valley Science Park Nigeria Limited, to understand the vision, the challenges, and the global ambitions behind the project. What emerged was a story of persistence, partnership, and a long-awaited second chance for Akwa Ibom’s innovation dream.
A 25-Year Vision, Reborn
The story begins decades ago, when Victor Attah launched the original Akwa Ibom Science Park, an ambitious plan that failed to reach completion.
“Twenty-five years later, the project has been unable to see completion,” Iboro said. “So three years ago, we teamed up to bring back the Science Park and get investors and partners to carry out his vision.”
That rebirth came with the acquisition of 43 hectares of land, adjacent to the original site. This expanded footprint gave rise to what is now called Uyo Silicon Valley, a modern science and technology park designed not just to finish an old project, but to exceed its original ambition.
Today, the team has:
Moved fully to the site
Secured 42+ international partners
Attracted their first confirmed tenant, a South African aviation company, establishing a pilot training centre set to go live next year
The momentum is real. But what excites Iboro the most isn’t the infrastructure, it’s the people.
A Platform for Akwa Ibom’s Tech Talent
For Iboro, the purpose of Uyo Silicon Valley is crystal clear:
“The aim of this project is not just to create international jobs, but also to develop local talent and support the tech ecosystem.”
Iboro Otu
And this is personal. He has worked with Akwa Ibom tech players for over 15 years, names like Aniedi Udo-Obong, Mark Essien, Ikpeme Neto, and many others who have gone on to build globally.
Now, instead of watching talent migrate to Lagos, Europe, or North America, Uyo Silicon Valley wants to create a home base that can support:
early-stage innovators
mid-size tech companies
Foreign companies entering Nigeria
researchers and institutions
Young people are hungry for skills and opportunities
The goal is to integrate government, universities, institutions, and the private sector into a single innovation engine, the kind of synergy that makes science parks successful in places like South Korea, China, and the UAE.
Uyo wants to be part of that conversation.
A Multidisciplinary Innovation Hub
According to Iboro, Uyo Silicon Valley is deliberately designed to be sector-agnostic.
From AI to FinTech, AgroTech to MedTech, EduTech to Entertainment Tech, the park will host a wide range of technology verticals. This diversity allows for both resilience and cross-pollination, two features that successful global science parks share.
“Who knows,” he added with a smile, “maybe the next Elon Musk will come from Nigeria and be one of these great guys.”
This optimism reflects a growing belief in Akwa Ibom’s emerging tech ecosystem, a belief amplified during Akwa Ibom Tech Week, where the project was formally showcased.
Government Backing, Slow Machinery
While the state government has been supportive, regulatory bottlenecks remain a major threat.
To illustrate the gap, Iboro offered a stark comparison:
“It took me almost four months to register the science park… whereas these countries, within two hours, you’ve registered a company, done everything, and you’re operational.”
This slow administrative machinery affects:
foreign investor onboarding
business registration
export licensing
collaboration with NIPC and NEPC
regulatory compliance across multiple agencies
In short, Nigeria’s outdated regulatory ecosystem is limiting the speed at which innovation projects can scale.
Still, he remains optimistic that increased advocacy, especially from young people, will push the government to move faster.
Why Uyo Just Might Succeed
Uyo Silicon Valley isn’t happening in a vacuum. The state has quietly been reinventing itself. Akwa Ibom’s IGR has grown 170% in six years, signalling a deliberate pivot away from oil dependence. With Ibom Air, one of Nigeria’s best-run airlines, and the push for Ibom Deep Sea Port, the state is positioning itself for new economic drivers. Akwa Ibom has quietly spent the past decade building competitive infrastructure:
The 2Africa submarine cable landing point at Ibeno Beach
A statewide metro-fibre network via MainOne / Equinix
A functional international airport
Clean, accessible urban planning
A reputation as one of Nigeria’s most peaceful capitals
A state administration with a strong interest in diversification
Combine these with a private-sector leadership team and international partnerships, and you start to see why the project has traction.
The aviation training centre already setting up at the park signals that investors view Akwa Ibom as a viable operational base, not just a place for speeches and groundbreakings.
The Hard Part
For all the optimism, Uyo Silicon Valley faces real obstacles:
Policy Integration Is Slow
Nigeria’s fragmented regulatory space makes it difficult to streamline operations for local and foreign players. Foreign partners still face complex national regulatory processes.
The Old Science Park Is Still Abandoned
This is a symbolic and practical setback, one that raises questions about sustainability and continuity. The abandoned Science Park nearby raises a tough question: What prevents this new one from suffering the same fate?
Power Reliability Remains a Wildcard
Unlike Lagos and some Northern states, Akwa Ibom has yet to enact an aggressive state-backed electricity reform for industry.
Government Understanding Needs to Match the Vision
Political will exists, but policymakers must understand the tech ecosystem deeply to support it effectively. Government enthusiasm often outpaces technical depth. Execution will require consistency, not political cycles.
A second chance for a first-of-its-kind project
Uyo Silicon Valley is more than a technology cluster. It is Akwa Ibom’s attempt at rewriting its developmental story away from oil dependency and toward a knowledge-driven economy.
It is a private-led initiative with government support, built on a vision that started decades ago but is only now being actualised.
If the team succeeds, Akwa Ibom could become:
a destination for global corporates,
a magnet for African and international startups,
a home base for returning tech talent,
and one of the few operational science parks in Nigeria.
But the journey ahead requires consistency, policy reform, investor confidence, and unrelenting execution.
As Iboro put it, looking ahead:
“This is a young people thing… and I hope that what is happening in entertainment, young people will be able to drive the same thing in tech and the government will follow.”
Akwa Ibom now has the land, the partners, and the momentum. What it needs is the will to finish the story.
Projects like this do not succeed because of announcements. They succeed because an ecosystem decides it must.
So I’ll end with a question:
Can Akwa Ibom turn ambition into execution?
If the answer is yes, Uyo may soon become home to Nigeria’s next era of global-impact innovation.
