Ukorebi Esien | August 10, 2026
CALABAR – The Cross River State Commissioner for Youth Development and Skills Acquisition, Hon. Odum Ijom Ukam, has said young people in the state are increasingly looking beyond political appointments, as government’s skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and empowerment programmes provide alternative pathways to economic independence.
The Commissioner made the assertion in Calabar while speaking at a press conference organised by the Ministry in partnership with the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Cross River State Chapter, to commemorate the 2026 International Youth Day.
According to him, the government’s youth development programmes were deliberately designed to change the mindset of young people who traditionally saw political appointments as one of the few routes to economic advancement.
He said the administration had created opportunities for young people in skills acquisition, information and communication technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, agriculture, fabrication, welding, baking, electrical installation and other areas.
Ukam said, “the new narrative across the state” was that young people should no longer regard political appointments as an escape route from financial difficulties, but should instead develop themselves through skills, innovation, entrepreneurship and other productive ventures.
He said the state government had approved and commenced various youth empowerment programmes, including training for thousands of young people, adding that the objective was to equip beneficiaries with skills that could provide sustainable livelihoods beyond government employment.
Commissioner Ukam cited ongoing training programmes in fabrication and welding, AI and robotics, drone technology, cake making and pastries, agriculture, electrical installation, masonry, block-making, tiling and other trades.
He said the government was also partnering with private companies and federal agencies to expand opportunities for young people, noting that some beneficiaries were being trained within corporate facilities with prospects of employment after completing their programmes.
He disclosed that more than 2,500 young people had already been trained through the ministry’s Skills Enhancement Initiative, while another 4,500 youths were undergoing empowerment programmes under the government.
The Commissioner also disclosed that the state had recently approved more than N1 billion for a youth empowerment scheme, while efforts were ongoing to attract additional support from federal agencies and development partners.
He said the programmes were intended to create a generation of young Cross Riverians who could earn a living independently rather than depend on political appointments.
The position echoes Governor Bassey Otu’s declaration shortly after receiving his Certificate of Return in 2023, when he said his administration would empower young people to the extent that political appointments would no longer be attractive to them.
At the time, Otu was quoted as saying: "Appointments won't be popular again, we will support our young people in various skills development and support their entrepreneurial dreams.”
Three years into his administration, the Commissioner said the government was now seeing a new attitude among young people, with skills, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment increasingly becoming alternatives to the pursuit of government appointments.
He, however, acknowledged that the state had not reached its desired destination, saying more still needed to be done to expand opportunities for young people across the state.
The Commissioner also said the ministry had introduced measures to make its programmes more inclusive, including specialised training for young women, persons with disabilities and youths in rural communities.
He said the ministry had decentralised its activities through youth employability and entrepreneurship structures designed to connect young people in the 18 local government areas with opportunities available through the ministry.
Ukam maintained that the ultimate objective was to build a youth population that could create wealth, generate employment and contribute to the state's economy rather than depend principally on political office.
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