The Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre (Ibom-LED) says it has achieved key milestones in entrepreneurship development, training, and business support since its establishment in 2023. The centre said it has trained and mentored 1,840 new entrepreneurs under various programmes, including the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Programme (EAP) with 1,700 participants, the Startup Accelerator and Incubation Programme (SAIP) with 60, the Executive Management Programme (EMP) with 30, the Rising Leaders Programme (RLP) with 50, and the Business Mastery Programme (BMP) with 25 participants.
In a statement, the centre said the Arise Equipment Support Scheme (AESS) provided 10,000 pieces of equipment to 2,000 beneficiaries to strengthen small businesses across Akwa Ibom State. It also noted that N700 million was disbursed to government-sponsored EAP beneficiaries, while another N400 million in business support grants went to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to enhance their operations and competitiveness.
According to the report, Ibom-LED continues to offer mentorship to its alumni community, supporting about 1,400 business persons across the state. “Our mandate is clear: to build value-based, no-excuse, anti-fragile leaders and enterprises capable of delivering world-class outcomes within globally competitive markets,” the centre said.
Established as an initiative of the Akwa Ibom State Government, Ibom-LED said its programmes are designed to close critical gaps in leadership and entrepreneurial skills across both the public and private sectors. The statement added that the milestones reflect structured investments in people, enterprises, and systems through learning, mentorship, equipment, and funding.
It noted that these interventions are aligned with the state’s ARISE Agenda and global Sustainable Development Goals to promote inclusive growth, innovation, and enterprise sustainability.
