The Cross River State Government has approved the release of N1.499 billion for the implementation of the Cross River Youth Skill Acquisition and Start-up Empowerment Programme, a major initiative designed to equip about 2,620 young people across the state with practical vocational, technical, and digital skills, alongside business start-up equipment.
The approval was granted during the State Executive Council meeting, reinforcing Governor Bassey Otu's commitment to tackling youth unemployment, promoting entrepreneurship, and driving inclusive economic growth under his administration's People First agenda.
Governor Otu described the programme as a strategic investment in the future of Cross River, stressing that the initiative goes beyond classroom training by ensuring beneficiaries receive the tools and equipment needed to establish sustainable businesses immediately after completing their training.
According to the governor, participants will undergo intensive training in market-driven vocational and digital skills before receiving start-up kits tailored to their chosen trades. The objective, he said, is to bridge the gap between skills acquisition and economic opportunity by enabling young people to become employers of labour rather than job seekers.
The procurement package for the programme includes industrial sewing machines, laptops, cassava processing equipment, motorcycles, solar-powered freezers, washing machines, hand tillers, grain threshers, cake mixers, plantain slicers, solar-powered hair clippers, manual water pumps, and other specialised equipment to support businesses in agriculture, ICT, fashion, food processing, and related sectors.
Governor Otu noted that the intervention is designed to stimulate economic activities across the state while strengthening Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). He added that empowering young people with productive assets would help reduce unemployment, curb youth restiveness, and create sustainable sources of income for families and communities.
The governor reaffirmed that youth development remains one of the pillars of his administration, promising continued investments in programmes that expand opportunities for employment, innovation, and wealth creation. He maintained that Cross River's greatest asset is the talent and resilience of its young people and pledged to provide an enabling environment for them to thrive.
The N1.499 billion initiative is expected to deepen entrepreneurship, attract greater private sector participation, expand the state's MSME ecosystem, and contribute significantly to long-term economic development.
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