Akwa Ibom Approves ₦1.6bn Transport Allowance For 33,000 Applicants

Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has approved the release of ₦50,000 each as transport allowance to 33,461 applicants who participated in the just-concluded Computer-Based Test (CBT) for civil service recruitment, a gesture amounting to over ₦1.6 billion.

The governor announced the approval on Thursday following a briefing by the Commissioner for Science and Digital Economy, Dr. Frank Ekpenyong, on the outcome of the recruitment exercise.

In a statement issued by the Government House Press Unit on Friday, Governor Eno said the gesture was aimed at cushioning the expenses incurred by the applicants during the process.

“People don’t come for interviews and walk away with nothing. Let them get the fifty thousand naira they spent on transport and lunch,” he said.

The CBT, which began on November 4, 2025, was held at the newly upgraded Civil Service Auditorium in Uyo. The facility was recently refurbished by the state government and fitted with over 400 new computers, improved networking infrastructure, and reliable power supply ensuring what officials described as a transparent, technology-driven recruitment process.

Governor Eno also announced that candidates who did not meet the minimum cut-off mark would be enrolled into the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Programme.

He explained that while the state could not employ everyone, the administration’s ongoing infrastructural projects across the state required a skilled workforce.

“We cannot absorb everyone into the civil service, but our numerous projects need trained manpower. That’s why skills training remains a viable pathway to meaningful income,” the governor said.

According to Eno, oral interviews for the 12,000 applicants who scored between 50 and 90 per cent in the CBT will be held between January and February 2026.

He directed the immediate constitution of a committee to oversee the interview and final screening process, adding that 4,000 successful candidates are expected to receive employment letters by the first week of March 2026.

“We need four thousand now. Next time we need one thousand, we simply select from this database. So, there is hope,” he stated.

Governor Eno also ordered the creation of a digital database for the remaining successful candidates, noting that they would be given priority consideration for future recruitment within the next two to three years.

Earlier in his presentation, Dr. Ekpenyong revealed that a total of 37,314 persons applied for the civil service recruitment, out of which 33,461 sat for the CBT. Of that number, 12,502 candidates scored 50 per cent and above.

He also disclosed that Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) were allotted one hour instead of the standard 40 minutes for the test.

“Only one PWD candidate scored up to 60 per cent, while two exceptional candidates from the general pool scored as high as 90 per cent,” Ekpenyong said.