The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has reassured the women of the state that his administration has earmarked one billion naira for co-operative empowerment in each local government area of the state, in the 2026 budget.
The Governor gave the reassurances while addressing a mammoth crowd of women at Etim Ekpo and Ika Local Government Area, during the ongoing ARISE Women Sensitization Tour on Civic Responsibilities.
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At the sensitization tour organized by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Governor Eno disclosed that 100 women per ward will benefit from the co-operative empowerment.
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The Governor emphasized that his administration has provided twenty five projects in Etim Ekpo and nineteen projects in Ika, which includes roads, compassionate homes, model schools amongst others.
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Represented by the Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, Governor Eno urged women to take active part in the ongoing Permanent Voter Card (PVC) and National Identification Number (NIN), registration exercises, stressing that the PVC is the most powerful instrument in democracy.
Also speaking, the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Noble Lady Helen Obareki thanked the women for always supporting Governor Umo Eno. She appreciated Governor Eno who she described as women-friendly and urged the women to carry out their civic duties effectively.
While setting the tone, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs. Inibehe Etukudo urged women to embrace the ongoing voters registration and to revalidate their voter card in preparation for the upcoming 2027 elections, and called on them to mobilize their families and communities to sustain the gains of the ARISE administration, by sensitizing other women at the grassroots.
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In their separate welcome speeches, the Chairman of Etim Ekpo LGA, Mr. Gideon Uwa and his Ika LGA, counterpart, Barr. Utibe Nwoko, appreciated the Governor for the initiative of organizing the sensitisation tour across the 31 Local Government Areas in the State, adding that the tour will unify the women.
They commended Governor Eno for his focus on grassroot development, describing it as a ‘bottom to top’ approach, assuring that the councils would continue to mobilize women for PVC registration.
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On her part, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Bureau of Cooperatives and Rural Development, Mrs. Alice Ekpenyong, encouraged women to form cooperatives to enable them access government empowerment programmes and economic opportunities.
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