By Bayo Wahab

The Akwa Ibom State Government has unveiled Governor Umo Eno’s entrepreneurial programmes in the state barely two years after the launch of Made-In-Akwa Ibom Trade Fair and Ibom-LED Tailoring and Shoemaking Hub.

Recounting the governor’s empowerment programmes, Daniel Etokidem Special Assistant on Media to the state government highlights Governor Eno’s entrepreneurial revolution in statement.

The statement reads: The date was September 23, 2023, the venue was the former E-Libray along IBB Avenue, Uyo which now hosts the Ibom-LED, the event was the official flag-off and launch of Made-In-Akwa Ibom Trade Fair and Ibom — LED Tailoring and Shoemaking Hub by the Governor.

It was like a dream come true. And from his disposition, mostly characterised by intermittent smiles and outburst of laughter, it was obvious, Governor Umo Eno was impressed at what he saw on ground.

As Governor Umo Eno took a tour of the arena and inspected the different products on display by young Akwa Ibom entrepreneurs, a sense of hope enveloped him. His vision for a new Akwa Ibom state, where entrepreneurial development will diminish a culture where able-bodied youths congregated at the gates of politicians to beg for crumbs as a major occupation, a vice he has vowed must be halted and reversed, just birthed.

As the Governor sat and listened to different speakers deliver their speeches on the Trade Fair and the modest successes recorded, I recall how he listened with rapt attention and admiration.

It was notable for the thoughts not expressed, the joys and relief not transmitted. A pilgrimage to the state’s entrepreneurial bliss has just begun and the seed of sustainable development, growth and prosperity was planted by Governor Umo Eno.

Whenever Pastor Umo Eno speaks about entrepreneurship, one cannot but feel the passion of his conviction, the elegance of his language, and the force of his argument.

This is because SME is more or less his constituency. He started small and grew the Royalty Group to what it is today. This explains why as Governor, he is passionate about SME development and entrepreneurship.

To him, empowerment through entrepreneuship is a stark reminder of how long the road towards building a new crop of young Akwa Ibom entrepreneurs is but how necessary it must be that as a government and a people, we travel it, especially as Akwa Ibom state is blessed with a generation of young, industrious, hard working, creative, talented and passionate youths desirous of creating small businesses but lacking the seed capital, training and access to market and network.

To prove that the true test of a leader is not the speeches he delivers but on whether he delivers on his speeches, the Governor on that same September 23, 2023 donated N250 million for the take-off and training of the first Batch of 400 participants. N50 million went for their Course Fees and Training while N200 million was to be disbursed as Business Support Grant of N500,000 to each trainee upon completion. Trainees who have products that needed NAFDAC certification, licenses and registration were to be helped to cross those regulatory hurdles, he directed.

To help interpret his entrepreneurial vision there is Mr Ime Uwah, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Entrepreneurial Development and Programmes Director. Young, creative, visionary, pragmatic and innovative.

There is the ever-smiling Mrs Ekaette Umoh, Pioneer DG of Ibom-LED, a combination of beauty and brains, smart, resourceful, energetic, with an amazing ability to dream globally but act locally thus domesticating global worldviews to merge and seamlessly flow with contemporary local realities and peculiarities. There is Pastor ImoAbasi Jacob, Managing Director of AKICORP. Experienced, easy- going, goal better. The trio form the “intellectual powerhouse” with a perfect combination of experience, loyalty, service and scholarship as facilitators and have brought passion, creativity, innovation, aesthetics, to bare in interpreting His Excellency’s entrepreneurial vision in Akwa Ibom state.

What sort of training are beneficiaries of Governor Umo Eno’s empowerment at Ibom-LED exposed to?

Ibom-LED Trainees undergo an intensive curriculum covering key facets of entrepreneurship such as;

*Business Development: Nurturing the skills to strategize and cultivate sustainable enterprises.

*Record Keeping

*Sales and Marketing Strategies: Mastering techniques to enhance market reach and brand visibility.

*Product Development and Innovation: Encouraging creativity and adaptability in product/service offerings.

*Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring participants navigate business landscapes in adherence to legal norms.

*Networking and Collaboration: Fostering connections to amplify opportunities for growth and collaboration.

*Pitching and Presentation Skills:Developing the art of articulating ideas persuasively to potential investors and partners.

*Access to Funding and Resources: Providing insights into securing essential resources for business sustainability among others.

The 3-months rigorous training ensures that participants stand as certified agents poised to become world-class leaders in their respective fields, equipped with the knowledge and skills garnered during this transformative programme with a 9-week Entrepreneurship training designed to provide participants with a solid foundation in entrepreneurship essentials, legal aspects, financial management, and ethical decision-making.

And as part of a conscious policy direction of government to create demand and supply, the Governor has vowed that the trainees at the Ibom-LED Tailoring & Shoe making Hub will be responsible for the production of over a million school uniforms and shoes for pupils as well as uniform and boots for the men of the Ibom Community Watch.

“We are determined to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit in our people and this vision is being championed by the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Centre (Ibom-LED). So far, we have successfully hosted the maiden Edition of the Made in Akwa Ibom Trade Fair, where the 400 registered attendees were given a grant of five hundred thousand Naira each to progress their businesses. We have also set up and commissioned the Ibom-LED Tailoring & Shoe making Hub among other great things the Center is doing”

“In line with our commitment to support our indigenous entrepreneurs, we have ensured that all contracts for the production of school uniforms and shoes for our pupils and uniform and boots for the men of the Ibom Community Watch are handled by our youths at the Shoe and Fabric Hub housed at the Ibom — LED Centre. I call on all of you to avail yourself of the programmes initiated by the Centre”, the Governor declared during his New Year broadcast on January 1, 2024.

Ibom-LED is working to ensure that the Bank of Industry, BOI, National Agency for Food and Drugs, Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, have a Desk Officer within the Ibom-Led complex, alongside Standards Organization of Nigeria, SON, and a Micro Finance Bank, preferably, Ibom Fadama Micro Finance Bank.

There are ongoing efforts to also ensure that other aspects of the EAP components, collaborate with critical stakeholders like the Songhai Model Farm so as to easily harvest low hanging fruits from the agro-allied subsidiaries and tie same to markets for easy off-taking of finished products because these critical partners are vital stakeholders with endless opportunities the EAP trainees can leverage on to grow their businesses.

At the end of the training which is fully funded by the Governor, Ibom-LED trainees are officially inducted into the distinguished alumni community of Ibom-LED.

According to Ime Uwah, membership of the alumni creates a sort of meeting and melting point between the trainees and would-be-investors, with lost of perpetual benefits, including expert mentorship, networking opportunities, funding avenues, comprehensive support, and heightened exposure in the business landscape.

Also, 400 female youths were shortlisted and trained under the EAP batch three programme from July 15, 2024 to September 13, 2024.

The EAP batch 03 participants were drawn exclusively from Female Youth (Lemon & purple), Golden Girls and ARISE Ladies In White in line with an executive order from the Governor.

The Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme EAP Batch 3.0 training for 400 female youths offered a unique opportunity for female youths in Akwa Ibom State to be trained, mentored and supported to start and grow businesses towards helping beneficiaries become successful entrepreneurs and leaders in their communities.

The sponsorship of the female youths and ladies is part of Governor Eno’s concerted effort to strategically empower female youths as one of the key components of the SDGs towards bridging the gender inequality gap in doing business.

On completion, each female trainee was awarded a grant of N500,000 for business capital in addition to a N250,000 grant for shop rentals and set up, totalling ₦750,000.

The participants, aged between 16–45 years were drawn from the membership of the Lemon, Purple, Golden Girls, and Ladies in White female youths groups with strong Interest in entrepreneurship and business, resident in Akwa Ibom State, who form a strong support base of the Governor right from the early days of his campaign, up to his election and have remained a strong demographic support base of the administration.

There is also the Ibom-LED Business Mastery Programme (BMP), a 6 months Modular Programme, designed to help participants level up their Business Skills in Market Research, Financial Management, Marketing and Sales, Team Building, Strategic Planning, Speed Reading and Sustainable Business Practices.

At the end of it all, participants become experts in matters relating to Operations Management, Business Communication, Negotiating Skills, Marketing Skills, Leadership and Team Management, Human Resources Management, Risk Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, etc.

On the other hand, there is also the Ibom-LED Business Leadership and Entrepreneurship Programme (BLEP), a 9 months leadership programme, structured to help transform participants into visionary leaders with proficiency on how to conquer operations, supply chain, and HR Management, Scale, Franchise and Global Markets, Lead with Ethics and Sustainability as well as Master Global Business Etiquette and Leadership.

An Evening of Grants and Empowerment

Thursday, February 6, 2025, was therefore yet another day when Governor Umo Eno felt fulfilled because his empowerment seeds have started bearing fruits.

Converging on the amphitheatre of the famous Unity Park, Uyo, in an event tagged “An Evening of Grants and Empowerment”, the Governor gave out N25 million as grants to 50 winners of the ARISE Home Farms Contest and N300 million as grant to 400 female youths under the Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme-3.

N20 million prize money also went to winners of the 2023 Governor’s Cup Tournament, N155 million prize money to 31 Local Government Areas that participated in the 2024 Christmas Unplugged cultural display competition and N32 million to 32 outstanding Civil Servants, as well as several other on-the-spot cash awards and car gifts. All totalling N550million in one swell swoop!

According to Governor Eno, the evening was to empower and encourage small and Medium scale enterprises, ensuring they leverage their skills and creativity to stimulate economic growth and personal development.

“We are here to celebrate passion, excellence and the spirit of healthy competition, whether through sports, service delivery or entrepreneurship. Tonight, we are here to celebrate what Hapy Hour represents: rewards for hardworking, talent, creativity and industry. When you put in the work, you should also take the time to celebrate your effort.

“We are here to celebrate a milestone for our young female youths that have have just graduated from the Leadership and Entrepreneurial school. You have always been our cheer leaders, but tonight we are your cheerleaders. That’s why we are here tonight. We are here to celebrate that.

“We are here to celebrate Akwa Ibomites. We are here to celebrate you who have decided to arise to our call that everyone can own a farm, even if it is a home garden,” he declared.

There is no doubt that in a few years from now, the seeds of entrepreneurial development planted, watered, nurtured and cultivated by Governor Umo Eno will surely grow and blossom, with benefits to both the beneficiaries, their families, communities and Akwa Ibom State.

Vanguard News