RismadarVoice Reporters
May 30, 2026
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has disclosed that his administration disbursed ₦2 billion in stipends to National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members of Akwa Ibom extraction between August 2024 and April 2025.
The governor disclosed during a media parley in Uyo held as part of activities marking the third anniversary of his administration.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Information, Dr Aniekan Umanah, who moderated the session, said the intervention was aimed at cushioning the economic challenges facing young graduates and encouraging their participation in national service.
“Between August of the preceding year and April of the current year, the State Government expended an unprecedented sum of ₦2 billion in stipend disbursements to corps members of Akwa Ibom extraction serving under the NYSC scheme,” Umanah said.
“This intervention is designed to cushion the economic exigencies confronting our young graduates while reinforcing their civic obligations.”
The commissioner also announced that the state government has introduced entrepreneurial grants targeted at indigent youths to enable them to establish or expand businesses.
As part of efforts to deepen youth development and digital innovation, Umanah revealed that the government is constructing 31 ARISE Friendship Centres across the 31 local government areas of the state.
According to him, the centres are ICT-driven innovation hubs designed to promote collaboration, creativity and technology-based solutions among young people.
He disclosed that the Friendship Centre in Oron has already been completed and commissioned.
“His Excellency has directed the immediate training of 300 youths at the Oron ARISE Friendship Centre in intensive ICT modules spanning three months. This programme is designed to equip beneficiaries with cutting-edge digital competencies for the global knowledge economy,” he said.
Describing the facilities as more than physical structures, Umanah said the centres would serve as platforms for innovation and entrepreneurship.
“These ICT-driven hubs are not mere buildings; they are crucibles for ideation where our youths will commune, collaborate and birth solutions that can compete globally,” he added.
The commissioner further announced a significant increase in bursary payments for Akwa Ibom students in tertiary institutions, stating that the bursary has been raised by 150 per cent from ₦20,000 to ₦50,000.
He noted that the increase forms part of the administration’s commitment to supporting education and easing the financial burden on students and their families.
Umanah explained that youth-focused initiatives are being implemented alongside major investments in infrastructure, healthcare, tourism and aviation development under the ARISE Agenda.
“You cannot build youths in isolation while neglecting the roads they travel, the hospitals they depend on, or the digital infrastructure they require. The ARISE Agenda is therefore integrative, ensuring that every sector reinforces the other for collective prosperity,” he said.
He maintained that the third-anniversary media engagement highlighted Governor Eno’s commitment to youth empowerment, human capital development and inclusive economic growth across the state.
