Akwa Ibom Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has offered to sponsor 100 youths for agricultural entrepreneurship training at CSS Global Integrated Farms in Nasarawa State as part of the efforts to promote youth empowerment, self-reliance and business development.

Speaking at the Ninth Edition of the Ibom Ignite Conference in Uyo, Eno urged young people in the state to embrace innovation, acquire new skills and continually reinvent themselves to remain relevant and achieve sustainable entrepreneurial success.

The Governor argued that the theme of the conference, “Reinvent, Rethink, Reimagine, Redesign, and Become,” encouraged participants to believe in their abilities, work intelligently and pursue their ambitions with passion and determination.

“Since the inception of Ibom Ignite in 2017, the initiative had inspired new ideas, changed mindsets and strengthened the entrepreneurial spirit of young people, leading to the transformation of several businesses and lives across the state.”

Eno identified Idara Adiakpan, David Elisha, Ikemesit Bassey Awak, Uduak Rubin, Churchill Mfon Monday and Pius Titus as some of the programme’s beneficiaries who had distinguished themselves in their respective fields.

“The success stories demonstrate the potential of young people when they receive the right guidance, skills and opportunities. Our commitment to mentoring and empowering young people was driven by desire to help them achieve personal development, fulfilment and meaningful societal impact.”

Similarly, he also explained that our passion has always been to nurture 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 as it is done in other climes.

He therefore cautioned the participants against relying on outdated methods, stressing that changing economic realities require entrepreneurs to continually improve their skills, strategies and services. “Those who are willing to reinvent, rethink, reimagine and redesign always triumph.”

The governor said administration had continued to invest in youth development through vocational training, entrepreneurship programmes and the provision of startup support, disclosing that 2,000 youths had been trained through the Ibom Leadership and Economic Development programme, Ibom-LED, with each participant receiving a startup package of ₦750,000.

“Another 2,000 youths had benefited from training at the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre (DASAC), where participants received startup grants ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦1 million.

Eno also highlighted the establishment of Youth Development Centres across the 31 local government areas of the state as part of his administration’s strategy to expand access to skills acquisition and economic opportunities.

He urged young people to take full advantage of the Ibom Ignite platform, work hard and remain committed to their goals, assuring them that determination and continuous improvement would help them achieve success and self-fulfilment.

The governor commended the speakers at the conference, including Apostle Joshua Selman and Prof. John Kennedy Opara, for sharing insights aimed at helping young people build successful businesses and impactful lives.

Contributing, Apostle Joshua Selman identified awareness and recognition, access to superior information, practical application, consistent action and the willingness to endure the consequences of doing things differently as essential ingredients for success.

According to him, moving from a losing mentality to a winning mentality requires deliberate decisions, discipline and sustained commitment to personal growth.

CSS Farms CEO Urges Youths to Embrace Agribusiness

The Chief Executive Officer of CSS Global Integrated Farms, Prof. John Kennedy Opara, in a presentation titled “Beyond Hustle: Turning Your Business into an Enterprise” identified passion, performance and possibilities as critical factors for entrepreneurial success.

Opara urged young people to embrace agriculture as a viable business opportunity and remain committed to developing their ideas, regardless of their starting points.

On his part, Chairman of the Conference Central Planning Committee, Pastor Imobasi Jacob, thanked Governor Eno for initiating the Ibom Ignite Conference, describing the conference as a platform for bringing together ideas, ambitions and possibilities to help young people realise their potential.

CSS Global Integrated Farms, located in Nasarawa State, operates in the agribusiness sector, with a focus on mechanised agriculture, sustainable initiatives and global partnerships.