By Iyoho Emmanuel
ABUJA — The Youth Wing of Akwa Ibom Community, Abuja, has received strong backing from community leaders and stakeholders for its educational and empowerment initiatives, as young Nigerians were urged to shun social vices, embrace education and explore emerging opportunities in the green economy.
The call came during the 2026 International Youth Day celebration organised by the Youth Wing of Akwa Ibom Community, Abuja, at Akwa Ibom House, Central Business District, Abuja, where more than 30 students received scholarships and a Youth Educational Trust Fund launched.
The event brought together youths, community leaders, professionals and other stakeholders to deliberate on education, youth empowerment, climate action, environmental sustainability, innovation and opportunities for the next generation.
Representing the chairman of the occasion, ACG Aloysius Umoh, described the celebration as an important platform for bringing young people together, sharing knowledge and exposing them to opportunities capable of improving their lives.
Represented by Mr Emmanuel Umoh , he particularly commended the youth wing for introducing the scholarship programme, saying the initiative would enable beneficiaries to access quality education while reducing the financial burden on their parents.
“Today is a very important day. It is a way of bringing all the youths together and spreading what they have learnt, while also empowering them,” he said.
He said financial constraints had prevented many young people from attending or continuing their education, making the scholarship intervention particularly significant.
“A lot of students and youths we have don’t go to school. So, for the youth of Akwa Ibom, helping them is very important. That is why we are bringing about 32 of them and giving them scholarships,” Umoh said.
He urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity and use their education to improve their lives and contribute positively to society.
Umoh also charged young people to avoid drug abuse and criminal activities, urging them to embrace responsible living, education and empowerment opportunities.
“My message to them is simple: avoid drugs, do not involve yourself in criminal activities and live a good life,” he advised.
He noted that supporting a child’s education was also a way of supporting the child’s parents, who might otherwise struggle to meet the financial demands of schooling.
Also speaking, the vice president of Akwa Ibom Community, Abuja, Akparawa Solomon Umana, who represented the president of the community, Mkpisong Gabriel Fan, a lawyer ,commended the youth wing for sustaining the International Youth Day celebration and introducing practical interventions for young people.
Umana said the continuity of the programme demonstrated the commitment of the present youth leadership to the development of the community.
“I want to thank the youth wing for sustaining the International Youth Day celebration. In the previous administration, they might have started it, and that was that. Now, this administration has continued it. But today, they have proved everybody wrong,” he said.
He described the scholarship initiative as a major gesture that had restored hope to students who might otherwise have been unable to continue their education.
“The youth wing has given them hope and enabled them to continue with their education,” he said.
According to Umana, the ₦50,000 scholarship awarded to beneficiaries for one year represented an investment in the future of the community.
He assured the youth wing that the president and executive of Akwa Ibom Community would continue to support and encourage it to do more.
“On a personal note, I’m very happy with what is happening today, and I will not just speak and go. I want to say that, as the Vice President of this community, I will ensure that I support at least one student in this community, and by next year, we will do more,” he pledged.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Akwa Ibom State Governor on Mobilisation, Abuja, Comrade Kingsley Iwok, also commended the youth wing for the initiative and its efforts to bring young people together.
Iwok’s participation, alongside other community leaders and stakeholders, underscored the importance of youth mobilisation, participation and development, particularly at a time when young Nigerians are being encouraged to acquire relevant skills and take advantage of emerging opportunities.
The youth leader, Comrade Clement Edet, was satisfied with the success of the celebration, describing it as an opportunity to unite young people, promote their welfare and expose them to opportunities for personal and community development.
The environmental and economic dimension of the event was highlighted by climate journalist and climate data scientist, Mr. Ubong Usoro, who delivered the keynote address titled, “Green Opportunities for Nigerian Youths.”
Usoro challenged young Nigerians to look beyond conventional employment and explore opportunities in the green economy, which he described as a multi-billion-dollar ecosystem capable of generating employment and wealth while protecting the environment.
“There is a multi-billion-dollar opportunity available in the green economy, from waste disposal to waste sorting, waste collecting, recycling and soil banking. There is a lot that you can do in the economy value chain,” he said.
He urged youths not to wait for government employment or huge capital before taking advantage of available opportunities, advising them to start with what they had around them.
“You should start from where you are,” Usoro advised.
He identified waste sorting as one area where young people could begin with minimal resources by offering sorting services to households and businesses and separating plastics, paper and other recyclable materials.
Usoro said environmental challenges should be viewed not only as problems but also as opportunities for entrepreneurship, innovation and wealth creation.
The focus on green opportunities complemented the educational empowerment initiative, giving the celebration a broader development dimension encompassing education, employment, entrepreneurship and climate action.
The celebration featured cultural performances, go odwill messages, scholarship presentations, the launching of the Youth Educational Trust Fund, awards and recognition, among other activities.
International Youth Day is observed annually on August 12 to draw attention to issues affecting young people and promote their participation in development.
The 2026 United Nations observance focuses on “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” highlighting the shared aspirations of young people for dignity, opportunity, meaningful participation, quality education, decent work and a sustainable future.
The Abuja celebration reflected those aspirations at the community level, with stakeholders moving beyond speeches to practical interventions through scholarships, the Youth Educational Trust Fund and advocacy for green-sector opportunities.
The different messages delivered at the event converged on the need to educate, empower and equip young people with relevant skills to enable them assume leadership responsibilities and contribute meaningfully to society.
The celebration, therefore, ended not merely as a commemoration of International Youth Day, but as a renewed commitment by the Akwa Ibom Community, Abuja, to invest in its young people through education, empowerment, environmental awareness and leadership development.
With the scholarship scheme and Youth Educational Trust Fund launched, and community leaders pledging continued support, the challenge now is to sustain the initiatives and ensure that the opportunities created translate into lasting benefits for the youths and the wider community.