Ifiok Itiaba - COOPA
Governor Umo Eno has cautioned local government councils in Akwa Ibom State against converting newly established Youth Development Centres into social event halls, insisting that the facilities are designed strictly as training and empowerment hubs.
Gov. Eno, who spoke on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, while commissioning the Youth Development Centre in Oron Local Government Area, reaffirmed that the establishment of these centres across the state is a deliberate policy to end the era when young people had to travel to Uyo to access government empowerment programmes.
According to Eno, the creation of a standalone Ministry of Youth Development was specifically aimed at focusing attention on youth-related interventions in every local government area.
The Governor revealed that the programme is designed to eventually cover all 31 local government areas, with the first phase scheduled for completion before further expansion in 2027.
He used the opportunity to outline an ambitious training roadmap, saying, “Training programmes will soon commence in ICT, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and other digital skills to prepare our youths for emerging global opportunities.”
Governor Eno added that about 100 youths will be selected per training cycle, targeting at least 1,000 empowered youths annually in each local government area, with vocational training covering fashion design, catering, digital literacy, and other entrepreneurial skills tailored to local needs.
He further noted that the initiative will be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Economy and the Ministry of Sports.
The Governor stressed that all centres will be powered by solar energy and equipped with e-libraries to ensure uninterrupted learning and research access. He appealed to youths to take ownership of the initiative while tasking council chairmen with proper monitoring and protection of the facilities.
Earlier, while commissioning a Model Primary Health Centre in Oron, Eno urged residents to take full advantage of the accessibility, affordability, and high-quality services of the health facility to improve their health status, saying the project was a direct fulfilment of his campaign promise.
The health centre which includes residential accommodation for doctors to enable 24-hour operation and a special allowance for medical personnel serving in rural areas — was commissioned alongside the 2.1km Ukpong Street and the 2.1km Effiong Essang Street, which features an 800-metre span discharge drain.
The event took a political turn when Governor Eno was later received and publicly endorsed for a second term in office by the people of Oro.
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