Akwa Ibom State Government has unveiled plans to train at least 31,000 youths annually through a network of ARISE Youth Development Centres being established across the state’s 31 local government areas.
The initiative is designed to shift access to skills acquisition, entrepreneurship support and innovation opportunities from major urban centres to rural communities, with the government linking the strategy to efforts to curb rural-urban migration and youth unemployment.
The latest facility was inaugurated in Etinan Local Government Area on Tuesday, with Governor Umo Eno represented at the ceremony by the Political Leader of Uyo Senatorial District, Senator Effiong Bob.
The Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr Ekerette Ekanem, said each centre had the capacity to train a minimum of 1,000 youths annually, meaning the network could reach at least 31,000 young people every year when fully operational.
Ekanem said the centres were deliberately being replicated across the state to ensure that youths in rural communities could access opportunities previously concentrated in the state capital and other urban areas.
“The essence of the establishment of this Centre is an intentional effort of the Governor to bring what is happening in the urban centres and State capital to the rural areas, to check rural-urban drift,” the commissioner said.
According to him, the facilities are equipped with solar power, internet connectivity and indoor games facilities, alongside other provisions intended to create an environment for training, innovation, youth engagement and entrepreneurship.
Governor Eno, in remarks delivered by Senator Bob, described the programme as an investment in the future of Akwa Ibom youths, saying the centres were intended to provide platforms through which young people could acquire relevant skills, develop enterprises and become economically productive.
The Executive Chairman of Etinan LGA, Uko Umoh, welcomed the location of the centre in the rural community, saying it would strengthen local efforts to tackle unemployment and equip young people with practical skills. He urged youths to utilise the facility for talent discovery, training and self-reliance.
The Member representing Etinan/Nsit Ibom/Nsit Ubium Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Obong Paul Ekpo, further pledged ₦10 million as seed investment for the first batch of trainees at the centre, aimed at supporting their transition from training to economic activity.
Other speakers, including the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, SAN; former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Sam Ikon; Member representing Etinan State Constituency, Uduak Ekpo Ufot; and the Paramount Ruler, Edidem Aniefiok Monday Akpanobong, commended the initiative and its focus on youth development.
The inauguration brings the ARISE Youth Development Centre initiative closer to the state government’s broader plan of creating a decentralised network of youth development hubs, with the annual 31,000-trainee target placing skills acquisition and entrepreneurship at the centre of its youth empowerment strategy.
