Stakeholders push for green jobs, skills development policy in Akwa Ibom

Stakeholders have appealed to Akwa Ibom State Government to develop state climate change policy and make green skills development, green jobs and the circular economy among the key pillars.

They noted that such a policy would facilitate the transitioning of the state into a green economy.

This was contained in a communique issued at the end of Stakeholders’ Roundtable in Uyo, on the ‘Promotion of Green Jobs and Green Enterprise Development in Akwa Ibom, organized by the State Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources.

They noted that promotion of green jobs requires not only enterprise support but deliberate investment in green skills development, through vocational training, certification pathways, and the integration of green economy curricula into educational institutions across the state.

The participants also called on the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources to institutionalise an annual Green Enterprise Exhibition and Innovation Fair in the state, providing a platform for youth-led enterprises to access markets, investors, and technical partnerships.

They observed that the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) framework under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 should be strategically leveraged as a financing and programming mechanism for green skills development in the state, given the significant resources flowing through host community trusts in the state’s oil-producing communities and the untapped potential of those resources for green enterprise investment.

The communique partly read, ‘’The Akwa Ibom State Government develop a dedicated Green Jobs Framework that strategically maps the state’s sectoral strengths, identifies the skills sets with the highest funding and resource mobilisation potential, and creates clear, structured pathways through which young people and entrepreneurs can access green employment and enterprise opportunities.

“That a multi-stakeholder platform be formed to track progress, share data and mobilize funding for green job initiatives in the state.’’

The participants said that all green jobs, skills development, and enterprise support programmes should include Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), ensuring that training curricula, funding windows, and market access opportunities are designed and delivered in ways that are accessible, inclusive, and equitable.