By Idongesit Ashameri, Uyo
Young people in seven Akwa Ibom Local Government Areas can now apply for specialised skills training under a new network of Youth Development Centres, with the first registration window scheduled to close on October 5, 2026.
The development was contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday by the All Progressives Congress Media Network, Akwa Ibom State, signed by its Acting Director General, Comrade Uwem Bassey.
The programme covers youths in Oron, Ikono, Uruan, Etinan, Nsit Atai, Nsit Ubium and Etim Ekpo, following the commissioning of Youth Development Centres in the seven locations.
The immediate issue for prospective beneficiaries is the short application window: registration opened on September 28 and closes on October 5, giving applicants only one week to submit their applications.
The centres are intended to provide access to specialised youth skills training and empowerment opportunities closer to beneficiaries, rather than concentrating such programmes in the state capital.
The arrangement also has a wider geographic implication, as the statement said the centres would eventually be replicated across all 31 Local Government Areas of the state.
For beneficiaries, such expansion could reduce the need to travel to Uyo for training while extending access to skills development across different parts of the state.
The statement described youth development and empowerment as components of the ARISE Agenda and said the newly commissioned centres were established as part of the administration’s youth development strategy.
It urged eligible youths in the seven participating local government areas to use the current registration period to apply for the training programmes.
The APC Media Network, however, also used the statement to make a political comparison with other parties and candidates, arguing that the establishment of the centres represents implementation rather than campaign promises.
It said Governor Umo Eno was “already implementing what other political parties and candidates are merely using as campaign promises,” framing the centres as evidence of the administration’s approach to youth empowerment.
Beyond the political claims, the immediate test of the initiative will be how many youths gain access to the training, the quality and relevance of the skills offered, and whether beneficiaries can translate the training into employment, enterprise or sustainable income.
The planned expansion to all 31 LGAs would also significantly increase the programme’s reach if implemented, potentially turning the seven-centre pilot into a statewide youth skills development network.
