csrreporters 
The Cross River State Government has announced plans to train at least 20,000 young people under the Cross River Youth Empowerment Scheme, in a move aimed at promoting sustainable livelihoods, economic inclusion, and long term job creation across the state.
According to the leadership of the scheme, the initiative is structured to move beyond short-term empowerment by equipping youths with practical, market relevant skills that align with their individual talents and interests. By focusing on entrepreneurship and employability, the programme is designed to help young people build stable income streams and reduce dependence on public sector jobs.
The empowerment scheme will operate across seven strategic sectors critical to the state’s economic growth. These include agriculture, the creative industry, sports, transportation, skill acquisition trades, small-scale enterprises, and education. Each sector has been selected for its capacity to generate employment, stimulate local value chains, and support inclusive economic development.
In agriculture, participants will undergo hands on training in poultry, piggery, fish farming, and crop cultivation. Beyond technical knowledge, beneficiaries will also receive start-up support such as farm inputs, basic equipment, and access to funding, enabling them to transition from training into active production and agribusiness ownership.
The programme also places strong emphasis on the creative sector, with training opportunities in cinematography, scriptwriting, directing, production, and acting. State officials noted that investing in creative skills supports Cross River’s vision of positioning Calabar as a hub for film, tourism, and cultural enterprise, while opening new income opportunities for young creatives.
Small and micro enterprises form another core pillar of the scheme. By supporting youths to establish and grow businesses within their communities, the initiative is expected to strengthen the local economy, encourage entrepreneurship, and create ripple effects in job creation and service delivery.
The chairman of the scheme reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to youth development, describing it as central to the administration’s people-centred development agenda. He said the empowerment programme reflects a long term strategy focused on sustainability, productivity, and economic resilience, ensuring that young people in Cross River State are equipped not just to survive, but to contribute meaningfully to the state’s future growth.