The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) has engaged youth leaders across Akwa Ibom State on opportunities for skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, agriculture, technology and other interventions aimed at strengthening youth participation in regional development.
The stakeholder engagement, organised under the auspices of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Akwa Ibom State Chapter, brought together the leadership of the State Youth Council, youth organisations, student bodies, emerging entrepreneurs and other youth stakeholders from across the state.
Representing the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the SSDC, Ms. Usoro Akpabio, at the event, the Akwa Ibom State Representative on the Governing Board of the Commission, Hon. Chief Nkereuwem Christopher Ebong (KSJI), said the engagement was designed to position young people as active participants and co-creators of development.
Ebong said the SSDC recognised that young people were not merely leaders of tomorrow but primary drivers of development today, stressing that the Commission’s mandate was centred on transforming the potential of the South-South region into tangible prosperity.
He explained that the Federal Government established the SSDC to deliver coordinated interventions capable of positively changing the economic and social trajectory of communities across the region.
According to him, youth development and empowerment cut across the core areas of the Commission’s mandate, with particular attention being given to human capital development, technology, enterprise development, agriculture and technical and vocational education.
He said the Commission was deploying targeted digital skills initiatives in areas including software development, cybersecurity, data analytics and artificial intelligence, with the objective of positioning young people in Akwa Ibom to compete in the global technology economy.
On entrepreneurship, Ebong said the SSDC would support young entrepreneurs, startups and small-scale business owners through enterprise training, incubation support and access to funding to enable them build sustainable businesses.
He also highlighted agriculture as a major area of opportunity for young people, noting that the Commission was moving beyond the traditional perception of agriculture as subsistence activity.
He said investments in modern agricultural value chains, climate-smart farming and agro-processing would create opportunities for young people to become successful agri-preneurs while contributing to food security in the South-South region.
The Board representative further disclosed that the Commission was supporting technical and vocational education to equip young artisans and technicians with certified skills needed in areas such as renewable energy, manufacturing, construction and the maritime sector.
He said the SSDC was also paying attention to environmental sustainability, given the vulnerability of the South-South region to environmental challenges.
He explained that youth-focused environmental programmes would provide opportunities in green-economy jobs, coastal management, environmental restoration and community-based eco-projects.
Ebong stressed that the Commission’s youth interventions would also incorporate social wellbeing initiatives, mental-health awareness, substance-abuse prevention and sports infrastructure as part of efforts to foster healthy, active and resilient young citizens.
He said the SSDC was adopting a participatory approach to development, assuring the youths that they would not be passive recipients of interventions but active partners in identifying needs and designing community-level programmes.
“Every program, training slot, and empowerment opportunity provided by the SSDC will be distributed transparently and equitably across all Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom State,” he said.
He urged youth organisations and enterprise groups to organise themselves for participation in structured training, capacity building and enterprise opportunities, while also calling on young people to protect development infrastructure in their communities.
The Board member equally challenged the youths to champion peace and stability, stressing that sustainable economic development could only thrive in an atmosphere of peace, mutual respect and stability.
Also speaking, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr. Ekerette Ekanem, described Akwa Ibom youths as responsible, saying the state had moved beyond the era when young people were predominantly associated with negative activities.
Ekanem said the administration of Governor Umo Eno had introduced various programmes aimed at improving the lives and prospects of young people across the state.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for the appointment of Usoro Akpabio as Managing Director of the SSDC, describing the development as an opportunity for the state and the wider South-South region to benefit from the Commission’s intervention programmes.
The Commissioner also acknowledged the role of the Senate President in facilitating various Federal Government interventions in Akwa Ibom State.
He said the state government was committed to ensuring that youth-development initiatives had meaningful impact at the grassroots, adding that young people were well positioned to benefit from the opportunities expected through the SSDC, particularly in training, agriculture, technology and enterprise development.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, Ekanem urged young people to remain peaceful and responsible, noting that youths constitute a major driving force in the electoral process.
“Cast and defend your votes devoid of violence,” he urged.
The engagement also had in attendance the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Matters, Joe Williams; the Chairman of the NYCN, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Comrade Emmanuel Uko; aides to the Governor on youth matters and other youth leaders from across the state.
The stakeholder engagement marked an important interface between the SSDC and Akwa Ibom’s organised youth constituency, with discussions focused on ensuring that young people are adequately positioned to access and participate in the Commission’s development interventions across the state.
