Governor Umo Eno has distributed over 10,000 sets of equipment to 2,000 entrepreneurs in Akwa Ibom State and presented substantial cash awards to outstanding students and educators under his administration’s economic stimulation initiative.
At a well-attended ceremony held at the Uyo Township Stadium, beneficiaries received equipment for various trades, including tailoring, barbing, shoemaking, welding, laundry services, hair styling, car wash operations, makeup artistry, baking, palm and cassava milling, vulcanising, and tiling under the ARISE Entrepreneurial Equipment Support Scheme.
The empowerment programme also featured the distribution of 77 mini-buses and 31 saloon cars to selected beneficiaries across the state.
“I have always said that our best legacy would be the number of lives we would have positively impacted through entrepreneurial support schemes, humanitarian interventions, and other kitchen-table issues that directly affect the quality of lives of our people while also executing big-item projects,” Governor Eno said during the presentation.
The governor emphasised that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are crucial to creating a thriving middle class in the state. He noted that his administration’s commitment to entrepreneurial development led to bringing the Bank of Industry (BOI) to the state within the first few months of his inauguration.
“We provided a matching fund of two billion naira so that entrepreneurs, especially small-scale ones, could borrow at single-digit interest rates,” he explained, commending President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, which he said were “gradually revitalising the economy.”
In addition to entrepreneurial support, the event showcased the governor’s commitment to educational excellence through various awards. Under the Academic Excellence Award category, Edidiong Essien, who scored eight As in the 2023 West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE), received N10 million.
Dr. Joseph Akpan, a medical doctor who achieved 10 distinctions out of eleven courses in his final examination at the University of Uyo, was awarded full tuition and living expenses to pursue a master’s degree abroad.
The governor also awarded N15 million to five Akwa Ibom students who emerged victorious at the Singapore-Bilateral International School Debate, while their teachers received an additional five million naira for their guidance.
In a unique recognition of breaking gender barriers, Otobong Philip Udoh, a female tipper truck driver from Ikot Ukana, Nto Edino, was awarded five million naira under the Exceptional Grit Award category for venturing into a traditionally male-dominated profession.
The State Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Dr. Ubong Inyang, alongside the Commissioner for Science and Digital Economy, Dr. Frank Ekpenyong, and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Entrepreneurial Development, Mr. Ime Uwah, provided insights into the initiative. They highlighted the governor’s passion for growing SMEs and described his approach as “the real deal in empowerment.”
Political leaders, including the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Elder Aniekan Akpan, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong, and the Director-General of Campaigns, Chief Asam Asam, SAN, commended the governor for fulfilling his campaign promises and for his exemplary leadership.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Dr. Joseph Akpan expressed gratitude to Governor Eno, describing the gesture as “a pleasant surprise that has not only made up for the years of rigours but would encourage others to aim for excellence in their chosen endeavour, be it in education or business.”
The Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre (IBOM-LED) received special recognition from the governor for their transparent selection process, which he noted cut across party lines and affiliations. Governor Eno urged the beneficiaries to utilise the equipment to expand their businesses and inspire others, assuring that his administration would continue to support enterprise, industry, and other meaningful engagements by Akwa Ibom people.
“In all, as I have always said, the people will be our greatest legacy in governance,” the governor said.
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