by ObongUnwana Micheal Joseph Okon (MJ)
A close associate stepped out of the Bank of Industry, Uyo branch, after signing as guarantor for a friend’s loan, only to meet a senior staff member shaking his head in disbelief. The complaint was blunt: Akwa Ibomites are not coming forward. The facility is staffed, the desks are ready, the mandate is clear, yet the queue of entrepreneurs is thin. A bank set up to finance production is watching potential pass by because the people it was built to serve are not walking through the door.
Credit for opening that door belongs to the Akwa Ibom State Government under His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno, PhD. Bringing BOI into Udom Emmanuel Towers in Uyo was a deliberate act of economic decentralization. It moved development finance from distant capitals into the heart of the state. This builds on earlier commitment under the previous administration, which signed a N2 billion matching fund MOU with BOI, with the state and the bank each putting in N1 billion to de-risk SME lending. Government has done its part. It has created access, lowered distance, and put money on the table. What it cannot do is fill out loan forms, pitch business plans, or carry the ambition of the next generation into the manager’s office.
The price of hesitation is higher than most realize. While many young people chase the limited slots in politics and civil service, BOI stands ready to fund businesses that create jobs at scale. Agro-processing to add value to our cassava and plantain, small manufacturing to replace imported goods, logistics to move products faster, ICT and creative services that sell beyond our borders. Each unclaimed loan is a workshop not built, a product not launched, and a payroll that never starts. The N2bn matching fund exists to absorb risk and lower the barrier. Not using it is economic self-sabotage.
This is the moment to change posture. Enterprise is the real ladder out of dependency. BOI offers patient capital, terms aligned to production cycles, and officers trained to appraise ideas on merit. The Uyo office is not decoration; it is an operating engine for capital. It rewards preparation, not connections. It funds feasibility, not wish lists. The tools are here, and they are waiting for competent hands.
Akwa Ibom, the invitation is now. Walk into the Bank of Industry, Uyo branch, with a plan, a market, and the courage to build. Stop waiting for someone to think for you. Become the employer, the producer, the exporter. The office is open. The money is allocated. Define your destiny, and let the line finally stretch out the door.
© ObongUnwana Micheal Joseph Okon (MJ)
