The Umo Eno-led administration in Akwa Ibom State has launched a N100 million Creative Industry Fund to boost the state’s entertainment and film sector, in a fresh push to empower young people and expand opportunities under his ARISE Agenda.
The fund, announced during the Ibom Entertainers Week in Uyo, is targeted at building capacity, supporting practitioners, and positioning Akwa Ibom as a creative hub in Nigeria.
Briefing newsmen on Tuesday, Commissioner for Information, Hon. Aniekan Umanah, said the initiative was one of the administration’s most significant interventions in September 2025.
‘This is not just about entertainment, it is about building an economy around the talents of our young people, giving them the tools to compete nationally and globally,’ he stressed.
The Commissioner also highlighted the inauguration of the fourth batch of the Ibom-LED Entrepreneur Accelerator Programme and the continued distribution of ARISE food packages across the 31 local government areas.
‘In just one month, more than 10,000 youths and SMEs have benefitted from training and empowerment schemes,’ he said. ‘Our governor is deliberate in creating jobs and giving hope to young people.’
On infrastructure, Umanah noted that over 771 kilometres of roads and 31 bridges are at various stages of completion, while Ibom Air has acquired four new aircraft, with work ongoing at the new Terminal Building and MRO facility at Victor Attah International Airport.
Workers’ welfare, he said, has remained a top priority. ‘Over ?78 billion has been paid in pensions and gratuities. Teachers have received N1.2 billion in wardrobe allowance. We have implemented the ?80,000 minimum wage, introduced a 13th-month salary, and approved the recruitment of 4,000 new workers,’ Umanah declared.
On social welfare, he revealed that more than 500,000 vulnerable households have benefitted from interventions, while in housing, 267 Compassionate Homes have been delivered, with 150 free houses for public servants already underway.
The health sector has equally recorded progress with the expansion of health centres, an emergency ambulance service, a medical oxygen plant, and the ongoing construction of a 350-bed International Hospital.
To secure lives and property, the governor launched the State Security Trust Fund, recruited 4,500 community watch personnel, and established a Ministry of Internal Security and Waterways. ‘We are reinforcing Akwa Ibom’s status as one of the safest states in Nigeria,’ Umanah added.
In tourism, projects such as the ARISE Resort, Ibom International Convention Centre, ARISE Shopping City, and a 2,000-capacity amphitheatre are ongoing. The ecological remediation of 70 hectares of gullies has also commenced.
The governor also partnered with FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to commission 17.33 km of roads in Ika Local Government Area, while presenting new vehicles to all former deputy governors of the state.
Sports development received a boost with the successful return of the Ibom Sports Festival after 14 years, alongside the revival of inter-house sports and the Governor’s Cup, and plans for a Sports Academy.
Summing up, Umanah said: ‘These achievements are not happenstance. They are the deliberate outcomes of a governance strategy anchored on the ARISE Agenda. Akwa Ibom is on a steady path of growth, innovation, and transformation under Governor Umo Eno.’