Akwa Ibom opens youth centre as state expands skills programme

Akwa Ibom State has commissioned a youth development centre in Uruan Local Government Area as part of the government’s programme to expand skills training and enterprise opportunities. Governor Umo Eno was represented at Saturday’s ceremony by Princess Usoro Akpabio, managing director and chief executive of the South-South Development Commission. The centre is intended to equip young people with practical skills, promote entrepreneurship and help them become self-reliant.

Mr Eno described it as an investment in the abilities and future of young people rather than simply a building. He urged youths to use and protect the facility and to develop ideas and businesses from it. The governor said the Uruan centre formed part of a plan to establish similar facilities in each of the state’s 31 local government areas.

Uruan council chairman Iniobong Ekpenyong said the project represented tangible development under the administration’s ARISE Agenda. Senator Aniekan Bassey linked the turnout at the event to wider interventions in the area, including training programmes, projects and support for vulnerable residents. The state Commissioner for Youth Development, Ekerette Ekanem, said the centres would give young people tools to become entrepreneurs and employers and help them compete globally.

The commissioning was held during activities marking Akwa Ibom’s 39th anniversary. Officials said the state was targeting youth skills development and enterprise creation across all local government areas.