The Akwa Ibom State Government has announced fresh investments in youth empowerment and tourism infrastructure. The government has disbursed ₦1.69 billion in students' bursaries, increased from ₦20,000 to ₦50,000, and provided ₦50,000 start-up grants to 30,000 young people across the state. This initiative is part of the administration's efforts to equip young people with skills, business support, and opportunities for self-reliance.
The Ministry of Youth Development, established as a standalone ministry in September 2024, has expanded its interventions to support young people. The ministry has constructed Youth Development Centres in Oron, Ikono, Etinan, Itu, Ibiono Ibom, and Ikot Ekpene, with training already underway for the first batch of beneficiaries at the Oron centre. The state has also launched the ARISE Tech Talent Accelerator Programme to provide young people with digital skills and internationally relevant certifications.
The government has increased the monthly allowance for National Youth Service Corps members serving in Akwa Ibom and Akwa Ibom indigenes serving outside the state from ₦5,000 to ₦20,000, benefiting about 98,000 corps members since August 2025. Additionally, the state has approved the recruitment of 7,000 young people into the state civil service, while village youth presidents have been verified across gazetted villages.
On tourism development, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Anieti Udofia, said the ARISE Palm Resort remained the flagship tourism project of the administration. The resort recently hosted a state banquet and is expected to be commissioned by President Bola Tinubu later this year. The state spends more than ₦900 million annually on the maintenance of its tourism assets, including the ARISE Palm Resort, Ibom Hotel golf courses, Unity Park, and Ibom and Ikot Ekpene plazas.
The Ibom International Hotel and the 5,000-capacity Ibom Convention Centre are nearing completion, while the Oron Maritime Infrastructure Project, which includes a ferry service linking Oron with Calabar and the renovation of the Oron Museum, is ongoing. Renovation works have also been approved for the Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort. The state's annual Christmas festival has been rebranded Ibom Christmas Unplugged and will run from December 1 to January 1 under the theme, “A Taste of Akwa Ibom: Our Food, Culture and Heritage.”
The 2026 edition of Ibom Christmas Unplugged will introduce new attractions, including Ibom Kitchen, which will showcase indigenous delicacies, a celebrity night, and the Mbopo Akwa Ibom indigenous beauty pageant. The previous edition of the festival generated about 4,900 jobs across construction, security, and other sectors. The administration's investments in aviation, particularly the expansion of Ibom Air, and healthcare infrastructure, including the Ibom International Hospital, are also supporting the broader youth employment, tourism, and economic development objectives of the ARISE Agenda.
Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Anieti Udofia, stated that the administration is deliberately repositioning tourism as an economic sector capable of creating jobs, attracting investment, and preserving cultural identity. The projects being developed are not merely physical structures but platforms for hospitality, entertainment, culture, and enterprise. The objective is to create more opportunities for young people while presenting Akwa Ibom's unique food, culture, and heritage to visitors from Nigeria and beyond.
Key points
- The Akwa Ibom State Government has disbursed ₦1.69 billion in students' bursaries and provided ₦50,000 start-up grants to 30,000 young people.
- The state has launched the ARISE Tech Talent Accelerator Programme to provide young people with digital skills and internationally relevant certifications.
- The administration is investing in tourism infrastructure, including the ARISE Palm Resort, Ibom Convention Centre, and Oron Maritime Infrastructure Project.
