The Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has approved the release of N1.499bn for the implementation of the Cross River Youth Skill Acquisition and Start-up Empowerment Programme aimed at equipping 2,620 youths across the state with vocational, technical and digital skills.
Otu explained that beneficiaries would undergo practical training in market-driven vocational and digital skills before receiving start-up kits to enable them to immediately establish businesses.
The approval was granted during the State Executive Council meeting on Thursday as part of the administration’s efforts to tackle youth unemployment, promote entrepreneurship and drive inclusive economic growth.
Speaking after the approval, Otu described the initiative as a strategic investment in the state’s future, saying the programme was designed not only to train young people but also to empower them with the tools needed to establish sustainable businesses.
“This administration is determined to build a self-reliant and industrious youth population. We are not merely training our young people; we are empowering them with the tools and resources they need to become employers of labour and active contributors to the state’s economy.
“Our vision is to eliminate the gap between training and opportunity. Every beneficiary will leave this programme not just with knowledge but with the equipment required to translate that knowledge into sustainable income and prosperity,” he added.
According to the governor, the programme will provide equipment tailored to different sectors of the economy, including industrial sewing machines, laptops, cassava processing equipment, motorcycles, solar-powered freezers, washing machines, hand tillers, grain threshers, cake mixers, plantain slicers, solar-powered clippers and manual water pumps.
He said the intervention was aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs in agriculture, information and communication technology, fashion, food processing and other productive sectors.
“This intervention is not a procurement exercise; it is a deliberate economic transformation programme. By placing productive assets directly in the hands of our young people, we are creating thousands of new opportunities for enterprise, innovation and community development. This is how sustainable prosperity is built,” Otu stated.
The governor expressed confidence that the initiative would reduce youth unemployment, curb restiveness and strengthen Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises as key drivers of economic development.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth development under the People First agenda, stressing that government would continue to invest in programmes that create employment opportunities and promote wealth creation.
“Our administration remains convinced that empowering our youths is the surest pathway to lasting peace, security and shared prosperity. Every empowered young entrepreneur becomes a catalyst for economic growth and a beacon of hope within his or her community,” he said.
The N1.499bn programme is expected to stimulate private sector participation, deepen entrepreneurship and expand the state’s MSME ecosystem while creating sustainable livelihoods for 2,620 young people across Cross River State.