Idara Jerome, Uyo
Stakeholders at the Akwa Ibom Green Jobs Roundtable have called on the state government to address existing policy, financing and institutional gaps hampering the development of the green economy, warning that the state’s vast natural and human resources remain largely underutilised despite huge opportunities for job creation.
The call formed the highlight of a communiqué issued at the end of the Stakeholders’ Roundtable on the Promotion of Green Jobs and Green Enterprise Development in Akwa Ibom State, convened by the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources in collaboration with the Clement Isong Foundation (CIF) through the Ambeghe Movement in Uyo.
Participants, drawn from government agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector, observed that Akwa Ibom possesses significant natural, human and institutional assets capable of making it a leader in Nigeria’s emerging green economy, but lamented that the opportunities have remained largely untapped because of gaps in policy, financing and institutional coordination.
To reverse the trend, the stakeholders urged the state government to develop a comprehensive Climate Change Policy with green skills development, green jobs and the circular economy serving as critical pillars for sustainable economic growth.
They also advocated the creation of a dedicated Green Jobs Framework that would map the state’s sectoral strengths and provide clear pathways for young people and entrepreneurs to access employment and investment opportunities.
“Akwa Ibom State possesses significant natural, human and institutional assets that position it as a potential leader in Nigeria’s emerging green economy, yet these assets remain largely untapped due to gaps in policy, financing and institutional coordination,” the participants stated in the communiqué.
The stakeholders noted that Governor Umo Eno’s ARISE Agenda already contains climate-responsive priorities, including erosion management, flood control, coastal protection, solar energy transition and recycling initiatives, which they described as potential drivers of green investments and youth employment.
According to them, green skills development, circular economy enterprises and climate-smart livelihoods represent viable but underfunded pathways to youth economic inclusion.
They stressed that the transition to a green economy should be pursued as both an environmental necessity and an economic opportunity requiring deliberate policies, increased public investment and stronger private sector collaboration.
“The transition to a green economy in Akwa Ibom State is not only an environmental necessity but an economic opportunity that must be pursued with deliberate policy commitment, adequate public investment and structured private sector partnership,” the stakeholders said.
The roundtable featured exhibitions by youth-led green enterprises, which participants endorsed as a platform for attracting investors, promoting innovation and expanding market access.
They consequently recommended that the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources institutionalise an annual Green Enterprise Exhibition and Innovation Fair to sustain the momentum.
The participants also urged the state government to leverage the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) framework under the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, as a funding mechanism for green skills acquisition and enterprise development in oil-producing communities.
“The Akwa Ibom State Government should develop a dedicated Green Jobs Framework that strategically maps the state’s sectoral strengths and creates clear pathways through which young people and entrepreneurs can access green employment and enterprise opportunities,” the communiqué added.
They further called for the establishment of a multi-stakeholder platform to track progress, mobilise funding and coordinate green job initiatives, while insisting that persons with disabilities should be deliberately included in all programmes under the agenda.
The stakeholders also urged the government to explore structured environmental management corps as a means of creating immediate jobs for young people and strengthening environmental compliance and urban sustainability.
Commending the Clement Isong Foundation, Ambeghe Movement and ActionAid Nigeria for championing the initiative, the participants expressed confidence that a green economy remains essential to Akwa Ibom’s long-term prosperity and environmental resilience.
“Akwa Ibom’s green future will be built by its people, and today, those people have spoken,” the communiqué concluded.