By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
The Cross River State Government has announced a new framework aimed at reducing youth unemployment, improving skills utilisation and increasing young people’s participation in governance.
The Commissioner for Youth Development, Odum Ijom-Ukam, disclosed this on Monday at a press briefing at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Calabar.
Ijom-Ukam said the ministry had trained more than 2,000 youths in various skills, while some firms operating in the state were also providing training with prospects of employment for beneficiaries.
He said the new framework would focus on skills utilisation, employment generation, entrepreneurship, innovation and active participation of youths in governance.
According to him, the interventions would be spread across the 18 local government areas to ensure wider access to opportunities.
The commissioner identified unemployment, underemployment, limited access to finance, digital exclusion and the mismatch between acquired skills and labour market demands as major challenges confronting young people in the state.
He called for stronger collaboration among government, private sector operators, development agencies, civil society organisations, academic institutions and community leaders to address the challenges.
Ijom-Ukam also identified the Nigerian Jubilee Fellowship Programme as one platform through which young people could gain practical workplace experience and bridge the gap between academic training and employers’ demands.
On youth participation in governance, he said young people should be involved in the conception, implementation and evaluation of policies and programmes affecting them, rather than being limited to attendance at official functions.
“Government also wants young people to have a voice beyond attendance at official programmes,” he said.
The commissioner urged youths to acquire relevant skills, build productive networks and engage in volunteerism and community service, while calling on investors and development partners to support youth-led businesses, internships, apprenticeships and digital opportunities.
He also announced activities for the 2026 International Youth Day, themed “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” which he said would provide opportunities for young people to showcase their businesses, innovations and contributions to community development.
