Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has commissioned Arise Youth Skill Training Centre in Oron local government area of the state. 

Inaugurating the project, Eno said it was a deliberate strategy to decentralise youth empowerment and bring skills development closer to young people at the grassroots.

Eno explained that a total of 31,000 youths would be trained annually across 31 local government areas of the state as such centres have been replicated in all council areas of the state

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Eno said the establishment of Youth Development Centres across the state is part of a clear policy to ensure that young people no longer have to travel to the city before they can access government empowerment programmes.

“The creation of a stand alone Ministry of Youth Development was aimed at giving focused attention to youth-related interventions across all local government areas,”

He disclosed that local government chairmen were requested to provide land within their headquarters for the centres, noting that 14 local government areas had already complied, with Oron completing its facility ahead of others.

He emphasised that the centres are strictly training and empowerment hubs adding that they must not be used as event centres for weddings, parties, or other social events.

“Training programmes will soon commence in ICT, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and other digital skills to prepare our youths for emerging global opportunities”

He said 100 youths will be selected per training cycle, with a target of empowering at least 1,000 youths annually in each local government area.

He emphasized that vocational training will also cover fashion design, catering, digital literacy, and other entrepreneurial skills to meet local needs and demands adding the initiative will be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Economy and the Ministry of Sports.

He said additional recreational activities such as chess and scrabble and other indoor games will be introduced at the skill centre to enhance mental development.

” The centres will be powered by solar energy and equipped with e-libraries to ensure uninterrupted learning and research access.

“Youths must take ownership of the initiative while local government chairmen must ensure proper monitoring and protection of the facilities”.

In his message of appreciation Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr. Ekerete Ekanem, commended Eno for what he described as a visionary investment in the future of young people in the state.

“The Arise Youth Skill Centre is not just a building but a transformational ecosystem designed to nurture talent, promote innovation, and build capacity among youths”.