“Women Can Now Contest”— Akwa Ibom Opens Youth Presidency To Women Introduces Three-Year Tenure

The Akwa Ibom State Government has opened the position of village youth president to female youths, declaring that gender should no longer prevent women from taking up grassroots leadership positions across the state.

The Commissioner for Youth Development, Dr Ekerette Ekanem, announced the policy on Monday during a live programme in Uyo, where he encouraged young women to participate actively in the leadership of their communities.

Ekanem said the government saw no justification for excluding women from village youth leadership when women had demonstrated their ability to occupy major leadership positions elsewhere.

“If women can become presidents of countries, they can also become village youth presidents,” he said.

The Commissioner also announced a restructuring of the tenure of village youth presidents, saying each elected leader would henceforth serve for three years and could seek a second term after completing the first.

According to him, the new tenure regime takes effect from 2026 and applies irrespective of how long an incumbent youth president may have occupied the position before the introduction of the policy.

This means that the three-year tenure of existing village youth presidents will be calculated from 2026 under the new arrangement.

Ekanem further disclosed that elections for village youth presidents across Akwa Ibom’s 2,272 villages would henceforth be conducted simultaneously.

He explained that having the elections at the same time would create a uniform tenure cycle and allow the Ministry of Youth Development to better coordinate grassroots youth leadership across the state.

The Ministry is also conducting a verification and data-collation exercise covering the 2,272 village youth presidents.

Ekanem said the exercise was intended to establish a reliable database of recognised youth leaders, adding that eligibility requirements, including the applicable age limit, were contained in the validation forms being used for the exercise.

Once the verification is completed, duly recognised village youth presidents are expected to be integrated into the state’s security structure through the Ibom Community Watch.

According to the Commissioner, bringing the youth leaders into the community security arrangement would improve intelligence gathering and coordination at the grassroots because village youth presidents are strategically positioned within their communities.

He said the reforms were intended to create a more organised and inclusive youth leadership system capable of contributing to peace, security and development across Akwa Ibom.

Ekanem also called on village heads, traditional rulers and other community stakeholders to cooperate with the recognised youth presidents and provide the support necessary for them to perform their responsibilities effectively.

He commended Governor Umo Eno’s administration for its focus on youth development and maintained that broadening participation in grassroots leadership would give more young people, including women, an opportunity to contribute directly to community development.

The Commissioner said the combination of a uniform tenure, simultaneous elections, gender inclusion, proper documentation and integration into community security structures would provide greater coordination and accountability in village youth administration across the state.