Gov Eno To Sponsor 100 Youths For Agricultural Entrepreneurship Training

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has offered to sponsor 100 youths in the state for agricultural entrepreneurship training at CSS Global Integrated Farms in Nasarawa State as part of efforts to promote youth empowerment and enterprise development.

He made the offer on Tuesday during the ninth edition of the Ibom Ignite Conference held at Ibom Hall, Uyo.

Governor Eno said the initiative would equip young people with practical agricultural skills and prepare them to take advantage of opportunities in the sector.

He urged youths to embrace continuous learning, rethink their approaches to business and adapt to changing economic realities, noting that the ability to reinvent oneself was essential for sustained entrepreneurial success.

According to him, the Ibom Ignite programme, which began in 2017, has helped participants explore new opportunities, develop entrepreneurial mindsets and improve their businesses.

Governor Eno explained that his commitment to mentoring and empowering young people was driven by the need to equip them with entrepreneurial and leadership skills to enable them to make meaningful contributions to society.

He also highlighted other youth development initiatives undertaken by his administration, including the training of 2,000 youths through the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre (Ibom-LED), with each participant receiving a start-up package of ₦750,000.

Another 2,000 youths, he said, had received training at the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre, with start-up grants ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦1 million for each trainee. He added that the state was developing youth development centres across its 31 local government areas.

Governor Eno encouraged participants to take advantage of the opportunities available through the conference and remain committed to developing their skills and building sustainable businesses.

The training sponsorship was announced during the conference, which had the theme, “Reinvent, Rethink, Reimagine, Redesign and Become.”

In his keynote address, Apostle Joshua Selman spoke on “The Courage to Become: Why Your Next Level Requires a New You,” highlighting the importance of awareness, access to relevant information, consistent action, courage and sacrifice in achieving personal growth.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of CSS Global Integrated Farms, Professor John Kennedy Opara, identified passion, performance and the ability to recognise possibilities as important factors in entrepreneurial success.

He drew from his experience in agricultural business to encourage young people to remain committed to their goals and not despise small beginnings.