05/09/2025
OUR PEOPLE DON’T NEED TO KNOW ANYBODY TO BENEFIT FROM GOVT – GOV ENO
… earmarks N31B for four categories of grants in 2026
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining a people-centric governance structure devoid of godfatherism.
Governor Eno, who stated this while fielding questions from Government House Correspondents, said every Akwa Ibom citizen has equal access to the Government portal for grants provided by his administration.
The Governor further said that the administration’s empowerment scheme for 2026, with a budget of N31 billion, would accommodate more interested persons and cover different categories of grants.
“These grants are: farmers’ grant, traders’ grant, SMEs’ grant, and skills acquisition grant. Everyone, including members of support groups, has the right to benefit from any of the grants by just accessing the portal,” he stated.
“The idea is to stimulate our local economy. So, we are putting N1 billion in the budget for each Local Government Area in the 2026 Appropriation Bill,” he said.
The Governor disclosed that when the time comes, the portal will be opened and each Local Government will access the N1 billion on an individual basis.
“I encourage groups and everybody to apply. There are four categories of grants to apply for: farmers’ grant, traders’ grant, SMEs’ grant, and the skills acquisition grant. These grants would be available in each Local Government for people to access,” he said.
The Governor emphasized that the grants will be given to people based on their Local Governments of origin and not where their businesses are located.
“But, we will inspect and validate all the locations of the businesses, just as we did last year for the various grants that we have been giving. We will thoroughly verify all your claims before we release the funds,” he added.
He explained that before the grants are released to the beneficiaries, they have to be enrolled at the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre, ILEDC, for a refresher course on their chosen area of business.
“This is expected to be a 10-week programme and before you leave or graduate, you will come up with a project on how you will utilize the money.”
The Governor noted that grants for those with one skill or the other will only be given when they have been proven to have acquired the skills.
“There will be monitoring and evaluation of these businesses to see how productive they are in order to mentor and guide the people involved and to ensure sustainability,” he said.
He stressed that Government would not give money to any group leader in order to ensure proper accountability and transparency.
“We want to eliminate this idea of godfatherism; the impression that you must know somebody before you access Government grants. Much as it lies within my power, we will reduce this issue to the barest minimum,” he assured.
He explained that Support Groups are social groups that volunteered to support a candidate whom they believe would provide good services, ensure accountability and transparency.
“I was elected to cater for the entire people of Akwa Ibom State, not individual groups. I truly appreciate the groups for their support but they shouldn’t see themselves entitled to the State’s budget.
“Let us allow the generality of Akwa Ibomites; people that have nobody to also access these grants to better their lives and those of their families.
“No particular group or groups will have an exclusive right to these programmes. They are for every Akwa Ibom indigene irrespective of their social status,” he emphasized.
