A landmark resolution has been reached to revive the long-dormant Ayip Eku Oil Palm Estate in Akamkpa Local Government Area, with the Cross River State government, host communities, and Wingsong M-House Palm Oil Investment Limited agreeing on a clear roadmap for the 12,400-hectare agricultural asset.

At a high-stakes stakeholders’ meeting convened by the State Ministry of Agriculture at the Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, on Thursday, all parties endorsed a three-point plan to end the 10-year impasse:

In the agreement, Wingsong was confirmed by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) as the legitimate owner (95% shares), will access the estate within 30 days.

All the parties agreed that the company must deliver overdue Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects—including roads, scholarships, and electricity—as per the 2007 Share Sale Agreement.

It was also resolved that a five-year phased development plan be submitted to the state within 60 days.

The estate, privatized in 2007 and handed to Wingsong in 2009, became inaccessible from 2013–2023 due to disputes with host communities (Iku, Abun, Okarara, Ako, and Nundebiji). A March 2025 BPE letter presented at the meeting validated Wingsong’s ownership and confirmed that compensation for land and economic trees had been paid to communities in 2008.

Cross River Commissioner for Agriculture, Johnson Ebokpo, said: “This is a win-win. We won’t tolerate idle assets or exploited communities.” He emphasized that the estate must remain strictly agricultural, with the DSS and police monitoring compliance.

In a remark, the Youth leader, Adolf Majini, called for the provision of jobs for the teeming youths of the area, adding that “This deal must deliver.”

Community leaders stressed the need for tangible benefits, particularly employment and infrastructure.