Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has urged youths in the state to acquire new skills, rethink their strategies and embrace innovation to sustain entrepreneurial success and make meaningful contributions to society.
Eno gave the charge on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at the ninth edition of the Ibom Ignite Conference, held at Ibom Hall, Uyo.
He encouraged young people to believe in their abilities and combine hard work, smart strategies, and passion to achieve their goals.
The governor said Ibom Ignite, which began in 2017, helped participants explore new opportunities, shift their mindsets, and develop entrepreneurial skills, improving businesses and livelihoods across the state.
He cited Idara Adiakpan, David Elisha, Ikemesit Bassey Awak, Uduak Rubin, Churchill Mfon Monday and Pius Titus as programme beneficiaries who had made progress in their respective fields.
Eno described the conference theme, ‘Reinvent, Rethink, Reimagine, Redesign, and Become,’ as relevant to the aspirations of young entrepreneurs.
He urged participants to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the programme to develop their potential and improve their prospects.
The governor said his commitment to mentoring and empowering young people stems from a desire to help them achieve personal growth, fulfilment, and meaningful social impact.
‘My passion has always been to nurture our youths and equip them with both entrepreneurial and leadership skills so that when opportunities present themselves to them, they will be properly equipped, distilled and ready to make tremendous impact,’ he said.
He reminded the youth that life is an evolving enterprise, stressing that ‘what seemed cool, great and dandy yesterday may become obsolete today. In fact, what brought you here may not keep you there.
‘Those who are willing to reinvent, rethink, reimagine and redesign always triumph. Those who get buried in conventional wisdom or those who see things from a one-dimensional prism always get swallowed by the revolving rhythm of life,’ he said.
‘The world today is defined by the service industry, whether it is the bank, hotel, or even the church. People want to know what differentiates you from your competitors to patronise you more,’ he added.
The governor, a seasoned entrepreneur, offered to sponsor 100 youths at the event for agripreneur training at CSS Global Integrated Farms, a leading, technology-driven agribusiness Company that develops full-scale mechanised agricultural systems through sustainable corporate initiatives, programs, and global partnerships, located in Nasarawa State.
He noted that the State under his leadership has trained and supported youths in different areas, including training of 2,000 youths at Ibom-LED, with a start-up pack of ?750,000 given to each of the participants, 2,000 at the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre (DASAC), with a start-up grant of ?1 million given to each trainee, as well as building Youth Development Centres in all 31 local government headquarters of the State.
He challenged young people in the State to embrace the programme and work hard to stand out, assuring them of their sure success and self-fulfilment in the end.
Governor Eno lauded Apostle Joshua Salman, Prof. John Kennedy Opara, and other speakers at the event for inspiring the young participants to build better, more impactful business lives.
In his keynote address titled ‘The Courage to Become: Why Your Next Level Requires a New You,’ Apostle Joshua Selman said it takes willingness and determination.
He listed essential ingredients for transiting from a loser’s mentality to a winner’s mentality, including: awareness/recognition, access to superior information, application and consistent action, courage to endure the consequences of approaching life differently, and courage to sacrifice temporary pleasure to become.
Also speaking on the theme, ‘Beyond Hustle: Turning Your Business into an Enterprise,’ Prof. John Okpara identified passion, performance, and possibilities as critical to becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Chairman of the Conference Central Planning Committee, Pastor Imobasi Jacob, thanked the Governor for his visionary and impactful leadership in the State, and for initiating the Ignite conference.
He described the Conference as a gathering of ideas, ambitions, and possibilities, adding that Ibom Ignite was born of the conviction that young people deserve more than sympathy when unemployment and limited opportunities face them head-on.
He said only through practical support, relevant skills and meaningful networks and platforms can they connect their potential to possibilities.
He urged youths to use the Conference to learn new leadership and entrepreneurial skills and develop their God-given talents.