Over 400 Akwa Ibom youths for entrepreneurship programme

To make good his promise following the EndSARS protests, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has begun entrepreneurship programme for youths in the state.

Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Marketing and Brand Management, Mr Ime Uwah, stated yesterday in Uyo that the first and second batches of the programme had 187 participants, while “the third is targeting 250 youths.”

Uwah explained that funding was not part of the programme, but budget-based assistance like registration of existing businesses, access to grants and payment for skills acquisition.
Explaining that the commencement of My Entrepreneurship Goal Programme (MEGP) was only for youths with businesses of about two years old, he added that the process of registration and selection for the programme was transparent.

He advised interested youths to apply online using the link provided, saying the quarterly programme was stalled due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis.

The proposed training for 3,000 youths in each of the three senatorial districts in the state per quarter is yet to commence, he noted, adding that the training would be handled by the Ministry of Trade and Investment.

The inputs, including cassava stem, rice grain, fertilizers and herbicides, are expected to reach about 2,000 poor and vulnerable farmers identified across the 17 councils of the state.

According to a statement from the Government House, Enugu, all the beneficiaries of the initiative, which is aimed at boosting agriculture and stimulating the rural economy, have been contacted accordingly.