ARISE SHOPPING COMPLEX
USDMPF COMMENDS GOVERNOR UMO ENO FOR INVESTMENT IN AKWA IBOM’S FUTURE
The ongoing construction of the ARISE Shopping Complex in Uyo is set to introduce a new dimension to Akwa Ibom State’s commercial and tourism landscape. This was the clear message at a parley between the project’s handlers and the Executive Committee of the Uyo Senatorial District Media Professionals Forum (USDMPF), which was on a tour of project sites built by the administration of Governor Umo Eno.
With a design that combines retail, entertainment, hospitality and recreation in a single development, it is evident that a hub offering world-class services is about to emerge.
Conceived as one of the signature projects of Governor Umo Bassey Eno’s administration, the complex is being developed by Hensek Integrated Services on an eight-hectare site. When completed, it will comprise ten interconnected blocks of two-storey shopping malls, a central piazza, cinemas, a courtyard with multi-level seating, and parking space for 300 vehicles.
The development also incorporates a self-sustaining solar power facility, which addresses the energy demands of a modern commercial centre and lets businesses and leisure activities operate within one integrated setting.
Beyond the size of the structures, the project reflects the changing character of Uyo, where growing commercial activity and rising visitor traffic are creating demand for more organised shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities. The architectural concept is meant to make the complex more than a conventional shopping centre.
By bringing together retail outlets, food services, cinemas and outdoor recreational spaces, it aims to create a destination where commerce and leisure complement one another.
The central piazza and courtyard are particularly significant to this concept. Rather than treating shopping as the only attraction, the design provides spaces for social interaction, relaxation and entertainment, and the multi-level courtyard seating gives visitors reason to use the facility well beyond their shopping needs.
The first phase is expected to occupy approximately 10,000 square metres of the eight-hectare footprint, with the ten blocks linked under a common development plan to form a coordinated commercial environment.
Delivering a project of this scale, however, takes more than an attractive design. The engineering decisions taken at the foundation and structural stages will determine the durability of the buildings and their ability to withstand long-term commercial use. This is where the project has met some of its most demanding challenges.
The Project Consultant, Architect Iniobong Orok, FNIA, explained that variations in soil composition across the site posed difficulties for the project team. This required a review of the initial pile foundation system to include a combination of a raft foundation, to enable the load to be adequately redistributed as required for the development.
Orok also said the team remained focused on providing technical solutions while aligning such options with delivery timelines, without compromising the buildings’ integrity and the specified standards for the works.
“We are here to proffer solutions that work. We look at the most effective options and deploy them,” he said.
The Project Manager, Mr Johann Leipoldt, disclosed that the original completion target was July 2027, but that, given current realities, the target is being revised to ensure delivery of the project by the last quarter of 2027.
“Our initial target was July of next year, but contemporary realities have forced us to reconsider, with a view to ensuring we deliver before the end of 2027,” he said.
“Better to ensure we deliver the highest quality of construction in line with the specifications on our projects,” Architect Orok added.
Safety is also treated as a priority at the site. Site Manager, Mr Ubon Basil, said the project is being executed to world-class standards, including the quality of the working environment and the organisation of construction activities.
The site was neat and orderly during the forum’s inspection, an indication of the attention given to the welfare of workers.
The project’s Safety Officer, Ms Imaobong, said: “We pay maximum attention to safety and security on this site. We have a clinic on location, and safety boots, protective equipment and gear are provided for every worker to forestall accidents. Our priority is that everyone who comes to work here goes home safe at the end of each day.”
The workers themselves appear to share the confidence. Joseph Asanga, one of the staff at the site, said work is progressing steadily on columns, casting and concrete. “The Governor has done something wonderful. This level of project is only seen in Dubai or Qatar. It speaks of the power of vision,” he said.
“Visitors to Akwa Ibom are in for a real treat,” said Architect Orok. “The 5,000-capacity International Conference Centre, with the 14-storey, 221-room Ibom International Hotel close by for accommodation, gives guests everything they need in one place. And when visitors want to shop and have fun, the ARISE Shopping Complex is right next door. The Tropicana layout is a complete tourism ecosystem. This is what forward-thinking is about. Governor Umo Eno has shown that development is about creating interconnected spaces where tourism, commerce and hospitality work together to attract visitors, create jobs and put Akwa Ibom on the global map.”
Beyond its physical structures, the complex is already generating economic opportunities. Leipoldt disclosed that the project has provided approximately 400 direct jobs, with more than 70 per cent of the beneficiaries being indigenes of the state. This is an immediate economic contribution even before the complex becomes operational, and it gives the host community a direct stake in the development.
Once completed, the complex is expected to create further openings for businesses, shop operators, service providers, hospitality workers and other entrepreneurs, with the cinema, food outlets and recreational components supporting additional economic activity around it.
The Uyo Senatorial District Media Professionals Forum (USDMPF), under the leadership of its President, Mr. Clement Warrie, commended Hensek Integrated Services for the outstanding quality of work on the ARISE Shopping Complex.
The Forum observed that Hensek has admirably translated Governor Umo Eno’s vision into a monumental physical reality. The company has exhibited the competence, precision, and professionalism demanded by a project of this scale.
Furthermore, its largely local workforce has given the host community a real and lasting stake in the development, a model of inclusive progress worthy of commendation.
The project’s tourism implications are equally important. The complex is expected to complement Akwa Ibom’s tourism profile by adding commercial and recreational attractions, and its mix of shopping, dining, cinemas and outdoor leisure spaces could appeal to visitors seeking more than conventional hospitality.
For Governor Eno, the investment is part of a broader effort to harness the state’s economic potential through infrastructure that links tourism, commerce and private enterprise. Its eventual contribution will depend not only on completing the buildings but also on the quality of businesses it attracts, its ability to sustain patronage and the economic activity it generates.
