In a significant effort to preserve and honour the memory of those who suffered during the transatlantic slave trade, the Akwa Ibom State Government is collaborating with the Akwa Tours Development Company (ATDC) to establish a Slave Memorial Park.
  
The park, which will feature the names of local slave trade victims engraved on memorial stones, will be sited at the waterfront of the Marina Resort within the Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort.
    
This development comes just weeks after the state government, in partnership with the National Association of Akwa Ibom (NAAKIBOM), unveiled a 179-year-old slave boat that was confiscated from transatlantic slave traders. The Slave Memorial Park aims to acknowledge the deep scars left by the slave trade on the region and its people.
  
During the foundation stone-laying ceremony at the Marina Resort, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Charles Udoh, highlighted the historical significance of the state as a major route for the transatlantic slave trade.
  
He emphasised that the park is part of a broader effort to create enduring legacies that would acknowledge the pain caused by the slave trade and educate future generations. The initiative is aligned with the tourism development vision of Governor Umo Eno, as articulated in the ARISE Agenda.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Grace Akpan, the commissioner urged other public-spirited individuals and organisations to support the state’s tourism development initiatives. He noted that tourism has become a significant driver of economic growth and foreign exchange, and the sector’s success requires collaborative efforts from all stakeholders.