The Akwa Ibom State Government has announced the harmonisation of youth groups across the state into a single platform, Akwa Ibom Youth United, as part of efforts to strengthen unity, leadership and development-focused engagement.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, April 9, 2026, during a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr Ekerette Ekanem, who commended participants for their turnout and engagement.
Dr Ekanem said the new structure was designed to give young people a stronger collective voice, promote inclusiveness and consolidate support for the development agenda of Governor Umo Eno.
He also stressed the need for alignment with national leadership, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, under what he described as a shared vision for national progress.
The commissioner described the meeting as a major step towards the formation of the State Steering Committee of Akwa Ibom Youth United.
He said the session was used to review, verify and refine leadership structures to ensure transparency, credibility and broad-based representation. According to him, the inauguration date for the committee will be announced later.
Leadership positions within the emerging structure were distributed across the three senatorial districts to ensure equitable representation and encourage a sense of ownership among youths in the state.
Dr Ekanem also highlighted several programmes of the Umo Eno administration which he said were aimed at expanding opportunities for young people.
He listed the Ibom Deep Seaport and international airport projects, agricultural programmes targeted at food security and job creation, ARISE Compassionate Homes, and the ARISE Automobile Workshop scheme as part of the government’s development efforts.
He added that youth-friendly centres were being developed across local government areas to serve as hubs for innovation, skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.
The commissioner also pointed to the introduction of Ward Personal Assistants, which he described as a unique grassroots inclusion initiative intended to deepen youth participation in governance.
He said the state government remained committed to building a resilient and future-ready generation through deliberate policies, strategic investment and inclusive leadership.
Youth stakeholders who attended the meeting reaffirmed their commitment to unity and pledged support for the governor’s development agenda.
Dr Ekanem thanked participants for their involvement and restated the government’s commitment to the welfare, empowerment and advancement of young people in Akwa Ibom State.
