Clement Isong Foundation Writes Governor Umo Eno over Strategy to Strengthen Youth Development in Akwa Ibom
By Ekemini Simon
The Clement Isong Foundation (CIF), a foremost youth development organization in Akwa Ibom State has written an open letter to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Umo Eno to recommend strategies needed to strengthen youth development in Akwa Ibom State.
The Open letter dated November 11 and signed by the Executive Director of Clement Isong Foundation, Elkanah Oluyori applauded Governor Umo Eno’s decision to unbundle the Ministry of Youth and Sports noting that the strategic move to establish a dedicated Ministry for Youth Development demonstrates his commitment to addressing the unique challenges and aspirations of Akwa Ibom youth.
CIF recommended qualifications for a youth development commissioner of the State, priority areas for immediate action on youth development and the assistant the organization offers.
While noting that the Governor’s pledge during the Arise Agenda Dialogue to appoint a youth as Commissioner for Youth Development aligns perfectly with the aspirations of young people in Akwa Ibom State, CIF said to support the vision, they propose that the Youth Development Commissioner have a proven track record in youth programme implementation, have deep understanding of contemporary youth issues, show demonstrated ability to work with government, civil society, and youth groups, have experience in policy formulation and demonstrate innovative approaches to youth unemployment
CIF said the priority areas that need immediate action by the administration are local government youth development councils, State youth employment and skills acquisition programme, youth-led policy review mechanism, youth enterprise support scheme and regular youth-Governor dialogue sessions.
The organization assured the Governor of their readiness to provide technical expertise in programme design, support youth mobilization efforts, assist with monitoring and evaluation, facilitate capacity building and offer research and policy advisory services.
Part of the letter reads ” As active stakeholders in youth empowerment across Akwa Ibom State, we have consistently championed youth development through various initiatives including: Policy dialogues between youth groups and political stakeholders, co-hosting the 2023 Akwa Ibom State Governorship Debate
Election observation during the 2023 General Elections and 2024 Local Government Elections, Implementation of youth capacity-building programmes.
“Your Excellency, Akwa Ibom State can become Nigeria’s model for youth development. We believe the appointment of a capable youth as Commissioner, supported by robust institutional frameworks, will accelerate progress toward this goal. We remain committed to supporting your administration’s youth empowerment efforts and welcome further dialogue on these proposals.”