By Patrick Titus, Uyo
Akwa Ibom State Government has spent N1.5billion in empowering the youth to engage in small business enterprises, with a view to making them self-sustenant as well as employers of labour.
Executed under youth capacity building programme, Commissioner for Youth Development in the State, Dr. Ekerette Alphonsus Ekanem disclosed that 30,000 youth have received 50,000 each as business startup grants.
Speaking on the activities of the Ministry of Youth Development in the last two years on Friday, Dr. Ekanem also said 2000 youth have been trained under the programme called Ibom LED and received N750,000 business grants upon completion of the training.
Under another programme tagged: DSAC, the Commissioner said 2186 youth have been successfully trained and graduated from DSAC at the cost of N1,0000,000 per head, including feeding and accommodation.”
He said the Ministry has commenced a programme on digital skills development tagged: ARISE Tech Talent Accelerator Programme with Oron local government area as first beneficiary.
The trainees will have access to digital skills and technology-driven opportunities with global certifications in Microsoft, Google certification, Cyber security, Python etc.
The Commissioner further disclosed his Ministry’s effort towards strengthening grassroots youth structures and supporting their integration into community development and security initiatives.
This, according to him, was the successful verification and accreditation of Village Youth Presidents across the 2,272 gazetted villages in the 31 local government areas of the state.
“So far, 2,183 Village Youth Presidents have been successfully verified for presentation to the security agencies for training, while verifications of the remay 89 Village Youth Presidents were ongoing,” Dr. Ekanem said.
In order to create sustainable opportunities for youth with entrepreneurial skills, the ministry has built and equipped youth development centres at seven Local Government Areas with relevant equipment based on needs assessment reports while construction works were ongoing in the remaining Local Government areas of the state.
To have a comprehensive policy framework for youth development in the state, the ministry has organized a stakeholders’ roundtable for the review and validation of the Akwa Ibom State Youth Policy Development Roadmap.
The idea, Dr. Ekanem explained, was aimed at ensuring peaceful and visionary leadership among registered youth groups, development, job opportunities creation and inclusion in government policies and programmes.
Recalled that the Ministry of Youth Development was created as a standalone Ministry from the former Ministry of Youth and Sports in September 2024 by Governor Umo Eno’s administration.
The mandate is to mobilise, mentor and empower young people through programmes and interventions that promote human capital development, transformational leadership, and productive engagement.
On his part, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Anieti Udofia said the state government has intensified investments in tourism and its supporting ecosystem as part of Governor Umo Eno’s deliberate efforts to position the state as a major tourism destination.
Dr. Udofia said the administration’s signature investments in the sector included the construction of the ARISE Palm Resort, the Ibom Tropicana Hotel project, the 5,000-capacity International Convention Centre on Udo Udoma Avenue, the rehabilitation of the Ibom Icon Hotel and Golf Resort at Nwaniba, as well as investments in the Ibom Hotel brand in Lagos and Abuja.
He explained that the projects were designed to strengthen the State’s tourism and hospitality ecosystem while creating platforms for business, leisure, entertainment and investment.
Dr. Udofia further disclosed that the rehabilitation of Ibom Plaza, the ongoing addition of facilities at Unity Park ahead of the 2026 edition of Ibom Christmas Unplugged, the Oron Maritime Infrastructure project and the rehabilitation of the Oron Museum were among initiatives aimed at strengthening tourism development in the state.
