Akwa Ibom Floats N100m Youth Empowerment Trust Fund

The Akwa Ibom State government has launched a ₦100 million Creative Industry Fund (CIF) to boost the state’s entertainment and film industry, supporting budding talents to hone their skills under the ARISE Agenda blueprint of the administration.

Addressing a pre-Independence Day celebration on Tuesday, the commissioner for information, Hon. Aniekan Umanah, said the initiative was one of the governor’s most significant interventions in September.

“This is not just about entertainment. It is about building an economy around the talents of our young people, giving them the tools to compete nationally and globally,” he stressed.

The Commissioner also highlighted the inauguration of the fourth batch of the Ibom-LED Entrepreneur Accelerator Programme and the continued distribution of ARISE food packages across the 31 local government areas.

“In just one month, more than 10,000 youths and SMEs have benefited from training and empowerment schemes,” he said. “Our Governor is deliberate in creating jobs and giving hope to young people.”

On infrastructure, Umanah noted that over 771 kilometres of roads and 31 bridges are at various stages of completion, while Ibom Air has acquired four new aircraft, with work ongoing at the new Terminal Building and MRO facility at Victor Attah International Airport.

Workers’ welfare, he said, has remained a top priority.

According to him, more than 500,000 vulnerable households have benefitted from social welfare interventions, while in housing, 267 Compassionate Homes have been delivered, with 150 free houses for public servants already underway.

The governor also partnered with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to commission 17.33 km of roads in Ika Local Government Area, while presenting new vehicles to all former deputy governors of the state.

“These achievements are not happenstance. They are the deliberate outcomes of a governance strategy anchored on the ARISE Agenda. Akwa Ibom is on a steady path of growth, innovation, and transformation under Governor Umo Eno,” he said.