Governor Umo Eno has launched the construction of Youth Friendly Hubs across Akwa Ibom State to address unemployment, insecurity, and brain drain while promoting innovation and youth development. The initiative, unveiled on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, marks a new phase in the state’s plan to empower young people with practical skills and opportunities to thrive in the modern economy.
Since assuming office, Governor Eno has consistently emphasized the importance of young people in shaping Akwa Ibom’s future. Through these hubs, his administration aims not just to provide handouts but to create lasting platforms where young talents can be discovered, nurtured, and guided into productive careers or business ventures.
Each Youth Friendly Hub is designed as a multifunctional space, featuring a Multi-sectoral Training Center with modular programs, an accelerator and incubation hub to support startups, co-working spaces to enhance collaboration, and a recreational lounge to encourage wellness and social interaction.
Other facilities include a creative development hub for arts and culture, an ICT hub equipped with digital tools, a coffee bar designed as a vibrant networking space, and an E-library to support research, digital learning, and access to global information resources.
At the flag-off of the pilot phase in several local government areas, Governor Eno, represented by the Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr. Ekerette Ekanem, reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to youth empowerment. He said, “These are not just buildings, they are safe spaces, innovation centers, and engines of opportunity, designed to equip the youths with skills, knowledge, and confidence.”
The Governor disclosed that by January 2026, 20 additional hubs will commence construction, with the goal of completing one hub in each of the 31 local government areas before May 2026. He explained that the hubs are structured to reflect global best practices, using a modular incubation model that ensures each center operates as a hub of excellence and innovation.
Governor Eno urged young people across the state to embrace the initiative not just as participants but as creators of their own success. “Let me emphasize this: the true success of these hubs will not be measured by their physical structures, but by how you, the youth, choose to use them,” he said. “Take ownership, participate actively, innovate boldly, and collaborate across disciplines and communities.”
He added that the hubs are envisioned as interconnected platforms from which young people can create jobs, build scalable businesses, and make meaningful contributions to Akwa Ibom’s economic growth. The Governor also commended local leaders, development partners, and community stakeholders for their active collaboration in realizing the project. “Your partnership and shared vision are the bedrock of this initiative’s success,” he noted.
The Arise Youth Hubs initiative, now underway in the pilot local government areas of Etinan, Mkpat Enin, Urue Offong/Oruko, Uruan, Itu, Etim Ekpo, Nsit Atai, Nsit Ubium, Eastern Obolo, Oron, and Ikono, represents a major investment in human capital development. As construction begins, the state government emphasizes that the project is not just about infrastructure but about building an ecosystem of creativity, resilience, and innovation that empowers Akwa Ibom’s youth to shape a prosperous future for themselves and their communities.