Unemployment: Akwa Ibom Targets 3,000 Civil Service Jobs For Youths

Akwa Ibom State government has approved the recruitment of no fewer than 3,000 new employees to boost the state’s civil service workforce.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the intervention became necessary to inject new blood to reinvigorate the greying population of oldies who had since overstayed their welcome in service, but keep redeclaring their original age statuses to hang on.

It was learnt that out of the 3,000 slots earmarked for the jobs, the mainstream civil service, healthcare, and teaching sectors have been allocated 1,000 slots each.

This was disclosed by Head of Civil Service (HoCS), Elder Effiong Essien, during a media session heralding the 2025 Public Service Week celebrations.

The recruitment according to Elder Essien, came on the heels of the recently concluded verification exercise for public servants in the state that was ordered by the governor, Pastor Umo Eno, last year.

Essien disclosed that the verification exercise which was opened to the 55,000 public servants on the payroll, upon completion ended up with less than 53,000 workers reporting for the exercise, thereby leading to the weeding out of 2,208 ghost workers from the system for failing to turn up for the exercise.

“I want to also gladly report that arising from that verification exercise, on the heels of this Public Service Week Celebration, His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno has approved the recruitment of 3000 workers into the public service of Akwa Ibom – One thousand workers to the main service of Akwa Ibom State, One thousand for medical personnel and then one thousand to the teaching service.

“Also, within this period of the 2025 Public Service Week Celebration, His Excellency has approved the release of 2025 promotion to public servants in the state. He has also approved and released N2.5billion for the clearing of the backlog of 7.5% contributory pension scheme that was suspended in 2013,” the HoCS disclosed.

He also seized the opportunity to commend Pastor Eno, whom he described as a worker-friendly governor, and thanked him for always prioritising the welfare of workers.

Essien listed the N80,000 new minimum, prompt salary payment, donation of 150 units of two-bedroom flats at Grace Estate to Civil Servants in the lower cadre, and donation of brand new SUVs to permanent secretaries in the state as clear evidence of his love for workers in the state.

He also particularly praised the governor’s effort in substantially clearing the backlog of pensions and gratuities which he met at N90 billion, saying so far, his administration has reduced the debt to about N30 billion.