Akwa Ibom Targets 50,000 Youths For N50,000 Monthly Jobs

Akwa Ibom State Governor Pastor Umo Eno has vowed to address the hardship facing the people, especially the teeming youths.

Towards this end, the governor has created a state employment portal tagged ARISE Employment Portal (AEP), slated for official launch on Monday, October 21, 2024.

The virtual launch is expected to take place at the State Executive Council (SEC) chambers, and top government officials and select stakeholders are expected to attend.

Addressing Journalists at the Government House press centre, the special adviser to the governor on media, Hon. Aniekan Umanah; the chief press secretary to the governor, Ekerette Udoh; and the senior special assistant (SSA) to the governor on Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Frank Ekpenyong, at a joint press conference, explained that the scheme aimed at lifting the youths out of poverty.

“The portal is the official online platform where unemployed and underemployed youths in Akwa Ibom State can register to access employment opportunities and training support from the Akwa Ibom State government and the Organised Private Sector (OPS).

“It will serve as a pool where the Government and Private Sector can access to identify skilled youths for targeted employment into the civil service and private sector,” Umanah explained, adding that “the governor as promise keeper is running an all-inclusive government devoid of party politics.

“The portal aims to provide a platform where applicants can create their personal account with basic information such as names, passport photograph phone number, email address, National Identification Number (NIN), Voter Identification Number (VIN) and upload their educational qualifications and relevant academic information that will help prospective employees access and verify applicants’ eligibility.

“The portal, when launched, will be opened to applicants who must be indigenes of Akwa Ibom State and are currently unemployed or seeking employment.

“The portal will henceforth serve as the official platform for the recruitment into the Akwa Ibom State Civil Service, the 5,000 youths across the 31 LGAs for the N50,000 monthly empowerment, the Dakkada Skill Acquisition Training Programmes and recruitment into the Ibom Community Watch (ICW) among others,” they explained.

It will be recalled that during the youth and engagement rally last month, the governor had promised to launch an employment portal where Akwa Ibom youths with marketable skill sets would be engaged in gainful employment.

It was learnt that the platform will also be used to execute the various empowerment schemes the governor announced to the state’s youth at the rally. He had appealed to private companies operating in the state to utilise the portal for their recruitment needs.