YOUTH EMPOWERMENT, Umo Eno begins scheme

Governor Pastor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom has introduced several new empowerment initiatives for youths across the 31 Local Government Areas. Announced at a youth rally in Uyo Township Stadium, these schemes aim to reward the youths for not participating in the recent #Endbadgovernance protest.

The governor instructed the Commissioner of Labour and Manpower Development and the Senior Special Assistant on ICT to develop a youth employment database. This will be used to match qualified individuals with job opportunities from the state government, investors, and other organizations.

The plan includes selecting 60,000 youths (5,000 each month) for a one-time ₦50,000 business support scheme over the next 12 months. Additionally, 10,000 youths will receive support through the ARISE Entrepreneurial Scheme for MSMEs based on a needs assessment. Another 3,000 youths will be employed through the Ibom Community Watch program for crowd control and intelligence gathering, with 550 already employed in Uyo LGA.

The governor also announced paid training for 1,000 participants at the DAKKADA Skills Acquisition Center (DASAC), with a monthly transport allowance of ₦20,000. There will be an increase in bursaries for public tertiary students: from ₦10,000 to ₦20,000 for undergraduates and from ₦10,000 to ₦30,000 for professional students (Law, Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture) for 20,000 students in the 2024/2025 academic year. Students with disabilities will receive educational grants of ₦250,000 for undergraduates and ₦300,000 for professional and postgraduate students.

Moreover, 2,000 youths will benefit from the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Programme (EAP) with a ₦500,000 grant and ₦250,000 start-up capital, and 3,000 youths will get support in agribusiness.

Governor Eno also celebrated the promotion of the Ibom Angels football team to the Nigeria Women Football League’s first division by announcing a ₦20 million donation and a coaster bus for the team. He plans to create a separate Ministry for Youth Development in the next State Executive Council, to be led by a Commissioner under 45 years old.