YouthPride calls for Reintroduction of Youth Development Fund Bill in Akwa Ibom
By Ekemini Simon
YouthPride, a coalition of over 53 youth-focused organisations in Akwa Ibom State has called on the Akwa Ibom State Government to reintroduce the Akwa Ibom Youth Development Fund (AKYDF) Bill as an Executive Bill at the State Assembly.
It could be recalled that on March 19, 2019, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly had passed the AKYDF bill into law for the creation of a N3 billion fund for youth development in Akwa Ibom State. However, after passage, the bill failed to get the assent by the Governor causing the lifespan of the bill to elapse in the successive Assemblies.
YouthPride on a courtesy visit to the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr. Ekerete Ekanem on May 14, 2025, said the bill when reintroduced, passed into law and assented to will ensure structured and sustainable youth economic development, positioning the State to
attract donor funds to further support youth development efforts.
In her remarks, the representative of YouthPRIDE and Project Manager of the Clement Isong Foundation, Dr. Caroline Gordian noted that the bill will provide a legal and institutional framework for consistent funding of youth programmes across the State.
“It will also enhance transparency and accountability, making it easier for development partners to align with government-led youth initiatives. Additionally, it will empower more young people through expanded access to entrepreneurship support, skills development, and innovative opportunities”, she added.
Gordian also called for the finalization, validation, and adoption of the State Youth Policy to institutionalise the vision and aspirations for youth development.
She said that with the support of YouthPride, the Department of Youth Development has developed a draft youth policy, which now requires the full support of the Commissioner to move from draft to official policy framework.
Gordian further asked for the establishment of a youth-centered e Governance/Data Bank system to ensure inclusivity, digital access, and centralised youth engagement.
She explained that this system is expected to facilitate data-driven planning, improve transparency, and enable real-time interaction between young people and government institutions.
The Team Lead requested for the creation of Youth Development Centres across Local Government Areas to bridge the gap in access to digital tools and skill acquisition.
“These centres are intended to serve as local hubs for empowerment, offering youth in rural and semi-urban areas access to digital resources, vocational training, and entrepreneurship support.”
She assured that Youthpride is ready to co-plan, co-implement and co-monitor youth related initiatives of the ministry and also provide all support possible to ensure that young people of Akwa Ibom State are well served.
In response, the Commissioner for Youth Development, Hon. Dr. Ekerete Ekanem commended the team’s commitment, advocacy, and consistent efforts over the years in pushing for youth-centered reforms and inclusive governance in Akwa Ibom State.
He specifically acknowledged the sustained advocacy by YouthPride for a standalone Ministry of Youth Development and for a youth to be appointed into leadership might have indirectly influenced his emergence as Commissioner of the newly created ministry.
He emphasized that such advocacy work does not go unnoticed and commended the coalition for driving a positive agenda for the youth of the State.
Commenting on the request for the reintroduction of Akwa Ibom Youth Development Fund (AKYDF) Bill, the Commissioner said he has keen interest in the AKYDF Bill adding that coincidentally, he had already conceptualized a similar proposal for a youth-focused fund for Akwa Ibom State and had shared this vision with the Governor.
He requested a summary of the AKYDF Bill so that he could effectively present it to the Governor for consideration and possible adoption as an Executive Bill for reintroduction in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
On the State Youth Policy, the Commissioner lauded YouthPride and its partners for the extensive work and dedication invested in drafting the policy. He said there is a need for such a policy in ensuring coordinated and strategic responses to the diverse needs of young people, especially low-risk, vulnerable, and at-risk youth across the State.
Ekanem said that while the last National Youth Policy was reviewed in 2019 and is currently undergoing another round of review, Akwa Ibom State had yet to domesticate such a policy. He agreed that the state must urgently develop and own its youth policy framework to tailor interventions more effectively. To move this process forward, Dr. Ekanem committed to setting up a technical working committee within the Ministry to review the existing draft. He also expressed hope that the State Youth Policy could be launched formally on International Youth Day (IYD) 2025, in collaboration with stakeholders such as YouthPride.
On Youth e-Governance and Establishment of a Youth Data Bank, the Commissioner affirmed that the Ministry’s vision is in alignment with YouthPride’s advocacy for a comprehensive youth e-governance system and a functional data bank.
He explained that while all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state are hosted on a central state government website managed by the Ministry of Science and Digital Economy, this structure currently limits autonomy and innovation in youth digital engagement.
The Commissioner however noted that he had already initiated conversations with the Commissioner for Science and Digital Economy on finding a workable solution that allows the Ministry of Youth Development to operate youth-focused digital platforms that support service delivery and program implementation.
The Commissioner stressed the importance of developing a data bank of young people, particularly those in marginalized and underserved communities, noting that the existing ARISE Employment Portal is narrowly focused and largely inaccessible to such groups. He said he sees the establishment of a youth data system as essential for inclusive planning, targeting, and monitoring.
On the Establishment of Youth Centres Across LGAs, the Commissioner said the recommendation was plausible. He emphasized the critical role such centres would play in bridging the digital divide, facilitating access to digital tools, promoting skills acquisition, and empowering young people at the grassroots level. He acknowledged that many young people remain digitally excluded due to lack of infrastructure and expressed a clear desire to work toward correcting this through collaborative action.