Governor Eno Is Intentional About Capacity Building, Mentorship, Entrepreneurship and Youth Development – Anwana

Governor Umo Eno has become a standard-bearer for human capital development in Nigeria through an intensive drive for youth and entrepreneurial advancement, his aide on Entrepreneurship Development, Mrs Meflyn Anwana, has said.

Mrs Anwana, who is also Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at Ibom-LED, spoke to our reporter after the Ibom Ignite Conference 2026 at Ibom Hall, Uyo.

"It is imperative to note that the common minimum policy framework for youth development by 2030 centres on a fundamental principle: every government must pursue a coordinated approach that empowers young people to acquire quality education and relevant skills, access decent work, build sustainable businesses, participate meaningfully in governance, enjoy good health, and contribute to inclusive and sustainable development. Akwa Ibom, under the leadership of Governor Umo Eno, is already achieving that," she said.

Ibom Ignite began in 2017 and has grown into one of the state's most consistent platforms for equipping young people with the mindset, skills and networks to compete. The ninth edition, themed "Reinvent, Rethink, Reimagine, Redesign and Become," held on Tuesday and Wednesday. The chairman of the central planning committee, Pastor Imobasi Jacob, described it as a platform for ideas, ambition and possibilities.

Apostle Joshua Selman delivered the keynote address on "The Courage to Become: Why Your Next Level Requires a New You." Prof John Kennedy Opara, chief executive of CSS Global Integrated Farms, spoke on turning a business into an enterprise. Dr Maxwell Ubah, chief executive of Strategy House Limited, urged participants to see problems as business opportunities, citing Singapore and Dubai as examples of how economies can turn disadvantages into strengths.

On Tuesday, Mr Eno announced that the state would sponsor 100 youths for agripreneurship training at CSS Global Integrated Farms in Nasarawa State. At a fireside chat on Wednesday, he urged beneficiaries of the ₦50 million Ibom Ignite business grant to spend it prudently, saying success depends on discipline and foresight, not only the size of capital.

He also proposed raising bursaries for students of public tertiary institutions from ₦50,000 to ₦200,000, with ₦250,000 for those studying Medicine, Law and Engineering. He said the increase would take effect if he wins the February 2027 governorship election.

Mrs Anwana cited the Ibom-LED programme, where trained 2,000 youths are kitted with a ₦750,000 start-up package, N5,000,000, a staggering 4 billion counterpart fund at the Bank of Industry, thousands of entrepreneurs supported with equipment financing worth millions of naira, ticking job creation, business expansion and revenue generation, as well as investments in the newly completed youth development centres and the ₦31 billion approved for empowerment across the 31 local government areas.

She urged participants to convert the knowledge, mentorship and networks acquired at the conference into viable enterprises, adding that the state's interventions are structured to support those who demonstrate capacity, discipline and initiative.