Akwa Ibom State Government has verified 2,183 out of the 2,272 gazetted village youth presidents across the 31 local government areas for possible integration into the state’s grassroots security structure.
The Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr. Ekerette Ekanem Paul, disclosed this at the weekend during a press briefing in Uyo on the achievements and outlook of the ministry since its creation as a standalone ministry in September 2024.
Ekanem said the verification was carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, adding that the exercise was designed to strengthen grassroots youth leadership, community development and security coordination. The state government had earlier announced plans to integrate the 2,272 village youth presidents into its security architecture.
He said the ministry had also commenced the process of training the verified youth leaders, while 594 youths had already been engaged in the Ibom Community Watch initiative to support local security efforts.
On youth infrastructure, the commissioner said development centres were being constructed across the 31 local government areas, with facilities in Oron, Ikono, Etinan, Nsit Atai, Nsit Ubium, Uruan and Etim Ekpo either completed or ready for use.
He disclosed that the first batch of 100 youths had undergone training at the Oron Youth Development Centre, while the ARISE Tech Talent Accelerator had also commenced in the area to provide young people with digital skills, including Microsoft and Google certifications, cybersecurity and Python.
According to him, the ministry had also implemented the ARISE Youth Skill Week, with 25 youths benefiting from cash prizes during the first edition and 50 others receiving prizes in the second edition for innovation, entrepreneurship and business ideas.
Ekanem said the administration had further supported youth entrepreneurship through the construction and equipping of an automobile workshop for Miss Rejoice Ubaha, describing the project as a government-funded intervention designed to provide a sustainable livelihood opportunity.
He also disclosed that 30,000 youths had received ₦50,000 business start-up grants, amounting to ₦1.5 billion, while 2,000 youths trained at the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre received ₦750,000 each as completion grants.
The commissioner said 2,186 youths had also graduated from the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre, with the training, feeding and accommodation of each beneficiary costing about ₦1 million, while the governor had approved the employment of 7,000 youths into the state civil service.
On education and youth welfare, Ekanem said the state had increased the monthly allowance for National Youth Service Corps members serving in Akwa Ibom from ₦5,000 to ₦20,000, with the benefit extended to Akwa Ibom indigenes serving outside the state. He said 98,000 corps members had benefited since the scheme began in August 2025.
He added that the administration had spent ₦6.8 billion on WAEC, NECO and other examination fees between 2023 and 2026, while the student bursary was increased from ₦20,000 to ₦50,000, with ₦1.69 billion already expended on the programme.
Ekanem said the ministry had also organised youth leadership and drug-abuse sensitisation programmes, including training for 1,000 village youth presidents and 600 Youth Council members, while 620 members of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom chapter, had been elected and inaugurated.
Responding to concerns over the tenure of village youth presidents, Ekanem said the ministry was still working on a uniform policy that would determine their tenure and ensure simultaneous elections across the 2,272 villages, adding that the issue of retaining them in the security structure after their tenure would require a decision at a higher level.
He also dismissed reports that equipment had been removed from commissioned youth development centres, saying officials inspected the Ikono facility after receiving such reports and found that the equipment remained intact. Ekanem said the centre had already been scheduled for training activities, while the state
Also speaking, Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, said the achievements presented showed that the youth-development components of the administration’s ARISE Agenda had substantially been implemented.
