By BANNERNEWS Reporter
The Cross River State Government and UNICEF have deepened collaboration on youth training and investments in waste collection, recycling, processing and green manufacturing to drive job creation.
Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Patrick E. Egbede, disclosed this in Calabar at a two-day UNICEF workshop on waste management and forest monitoring for youths and stakeholders.
Egbede said the initiative offers a practical pathway to absorb the state’s growing youth population, noting that value chains around waste recycling and green manufacturing can generate jobs across multiple sectors.
He added that the programme promotes entrepreneurship and innovation by turning waste into marketable products, opening new opportunities for small and medium-scale enterprises.
The commissioner assured that the state would strengthen policy frameworks on recycling, invest in infrastructure, boost public awareness and deepen partnerships with the private sector and development partners.
Also speaking, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Enugu, Juliet Chiluwe, said the programme includes training youths in forest monitoring as part of a broader push for green entrepreneurship and climate action.
She explained that participants will be equipped to track forest health, detect illegal activities in real time and support reforestation efforts, helping to bridge the gap between enforcement agencies and community advocacy.
Chiluwe noted that the initiative would reduce pressure from deforestation, illegal logging and climate-related degradation.
“UNICEF is proud to support the Cross River State Ministry of Environment on this initiative which places young people at the heart of climate action,” she said, adding that the programme will equip them with skills for a changing global economy.
Commissioner for Environment, Moses Osogi, commended UNICEF for the intervention, citing its 2025–2027 strategic work plan and the Green Rising Initiative.
He said the programme would spur a wave of green entrepreneurship among youths while strengthening environmental protection and improving public hygiene across the state.
End
