Akwa Ibom Govt. to train youths in photography and film production

The Akwa Ibom State Government says it has selected 329 youths from the state for training in photography and film production.

Governor Udom Emmanuel announced this on Wednesday in a state-wide broadcast to mark the 28th anniversary of the creation of the state.

Emmanuel said his four-month-old administration had earlier commenced the training of 1,000 youths on oracle technology, while some had been sent to Israel for training in agriculture.

The governor, who said more youths would be trained in power sector technology, stressed that youth empowerment, skills acquisition and training were cardinal policies of his administration.

Emmanuel said his administration decided to launch the “dakkada” philosophy to spur the Akwa Ibom people to rise up to the true potential of their greatness.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that dakkada is an Ibibio word meaning “stand up.”

The governor said the dakkada campaign captured the new Akwa Ibom spirit based on faith in God that the people of the state could be great in life.

He said the dakkada crusade due for launching later on was a clarion call for moral transformation, spiritual rebirth and re-orientation of the people’s psyche.

Emmanuel also said he had commenced construction of 137 kilometres of roads and had refurbished the moribund Peacock paint factory at the cost of N530million.

Other industrial projects initiated by the administration, he said, included automobile assembly plant at Itu, Clay Refining Plant at Onna and low energy display-led factory at Itu.

He said an ultra-modern gynaecology ward in memory of Dr. Ann Ward had been constructed at St. Lukes Hospital in addition to the renovation of male and children wards.

Emmanuel announced that the committee on Direct Foreign Investment had contacted investors in 50 countries across the world willing to invest in Akwa Ibom.