Calabar –Governor Bassey Edet Otu of Cross River State on Wednesday officially commissioned the CRS-YEEP Youth Hub at the Ministry of Youth Development and Skills Acquisition headquarters, describing the facility as more than a physical structure but a “functional ecosystem” where young people will incubate ideas, refine skills, and birth new enterprises NEGROIDHAVEN can report.
The Hub, located at the Michael Ani Secretariat in Calabar, is the state’s domesticated version of the federal Youth Economic Intervention and De-Radicalisation Programme (YEIDEP). It is designed to provide mentorship, skills training, access to finance, and workspace for young entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35.
Speaking at the event, Governor Otu (represented by the state deputy governor Peter Odey), who also flagged off the recruitment exercise for YEIDEP beneficiaries, said the Hub would transition youths “from learning to earning, and from earning to leading.” He was represented by top officials, with the full programme of event listing a keynote address by the Governor as a highlight.
In his opening remarks, the Honourable Commissioner for Youth Development and Skills Acquisition, Barr. Odum-Ijom Ukam, emphasized that the Hub is not a ceremonial project but a strategic intervention.
“It is not merely a physical structure, but a functional ecosystem – a space where ideas will be incubated, skills will be refined, innovations will be nurtured, and enterprises will be born,” Ukam said. “Within these walls, we expect to see the emergence of a new generation of job creators, innovators, and solution providers.”
The Commissioner also disclosed that under her ministry’s stewardship, Cross River has recorded measurable strides, including the expansion of skills acquisition initiatives across the three senatorial districts, strengthened partnerships with development partners, and increased access to funding for young entrepreneurs.
The YEIDEP initiative, coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, combines economic empowerment with de-radicalization. Its key components include provision of grants and starter packs, vocational and digital training, job linkages through public-private partnerships, and civic education to steer youths away from crime and extremism.
Beneficiaries are to be organized into clusters or cooperatives for easier training, funding, and monitoring.
The event, held at the Diamond Hall of Transcorp/Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, also featured a cultural display, goodwill messages, and a brief on the CRS-YEEP Hub by the YEIDEP Coordinator-General.
Commissioner Ukam called on development partners, the private sector, and financial institutions to collaborate with government, adding that “government alone cannot achieve these objectives.”
The Youth Hub is now open to registered young people in Cross River State, with recruitment for the first batch of YEIDEP beneficiaries expected to commence immediately.
