My
Story Mr. Michael Ojibokun Businessman, USA I still remember the first time I visited Uyo to attend the annual ‘9999’ Carol Night Service (now Akwa Ibom Christmas Carols Festival). After that, I promised to definitely come back to Akwa Ibom. Having visited a couple of times since then, Akwa Ibom is a state I love very much. We need to reverse the mindset that people need to holiday in Dubai, London, or even the United States when we have a lot to offer here. When we talk about tourism, you need to get away from the mentality that it has to be big projects. What does the average tourist want? Security, clean accommodation, good food, interesting and nice people; Akwa Ibom state has them all. The first thing that strikes you on arrival is how green this state is, I mean it’s a very blessed state. Uyo is one of the best kept cities in Nigeria. I can’t say enough about the quality roads here; very wide, very smooth. This is a beautiful state. Each time I come to Akwa Ibom, I leave with a smile; the simplicity of the people, their love for other people, the environment. The people are very accommodating and go the extra mile to be pleasant. It’s one of the few places people where don’t deal with you on the basis of where you come from. I don’t know how they do it, but I think it may have to do with the culture of the people - they are just naturally receptive. I’ve been visiting Akwa Ibom for the last 5 years consistently. The African warmth is present here. It’s what you feel when you’re taking a stroll, walking through the lush green vegetation. That’s the essence of (coming home to) Africa. And there is the food; especially the incomparable fisherman soup! Akwa Ibom is a growing state with its best years still ahead of it. I see myself buying a land here sometime, and getting involved in Agriculture. 57
