Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has proposed a fourfold increase in the annual bursary for students in public tertiary institutions, a move expected to bring relief to parents struggling with the rising cost of education and renewed hope to students facing mounting financial pressures.
Under the proposed arrangement, the annual bursary would rise from ₦50,000 to ₦200,000, while students studying Medicine, Law and Engineering would receive ₦250,000.
Eno announced the plan on Wednesday during a fireside chat on the second day of the Ibom Ignite 2026 Conference at Ibom Hall, Uyo, explaining that the increase would take effect if he wins the February 2027 governorship election and is sworn in for a second term.
The proposal is likely to be welcomed by students and their parents, many of whom contend with the financial demands of tuition, accommodation, transportation, textbooks and other academic expenses.
For families already stretched by the rising cost of living, the proposed increase could provide a significant cushion, while giving students greater financial support to concentrate on their studies.
The governor said the initiative was designed to make it easier for students to meet their educational expenses.
He also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustaining free and compulsory education at the primary and secondary school levels.
Beyond the bursary proposal, Eno urged beneficiaries of the ₦50 million Ibom Ignite business grant to deploy the funds judiciously to expand their businesses, create economic opportunities and improve their livelihoods.
He described the grant as seed capital for business development, warning recipients against diverting the money to personal pleasures or unproductive ventures.
“A seed not properly planted and tended was as good as dead,” he said, encouraging the young entrepreneurs to invest wisely and remain focused on their business objectives.
On social welfare, Eno disclosed that his administration had built more than 500 Compassionate Homes for less privileged residents across the state’s 31 local government areas. Each beneficiary, he said, had also received a ₦500,000 business grant to support their livelihood.
He pledged to construct an additional 1,000 Compassionate Homes and provide the accompanying business grants across the state’s wards if re-elected for a second term.
The governor also highlighted youth empowerment initiatives at the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre, the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre (Ibom-LED), and newly completed youth development centres across the state.
Earlier, the conference guest speaker and Chief Executive Officer of Strategy House Limited, Dr Maxwell Ubah, challenged young people to embrace a mindset that promotes economic growth, innovation and social relevance.
Speaking on the theme, “Change Your Thinking, Change Your Future,” Ubah said wealth creation begins with the mind, citing Singapore and Dubai as examples of how sound economic policies and transformative leadership could overcome geographical limitations.
He urged young people to view problems as opportunities for enterprise, identifying potential, problems, passion and possibilities as key ingredients for success.
Other speakers included the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hensek Integrated Services Limited, Engr Uwem Stephen Okoko; Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Paul Bassey; the Governor’s Delivery Adviser on Tourism, Sir Charles Udoh; the Sole Administrator of Ibom Paint and Programme Director at Ibom-LED, Ime Uwah; and the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Start Innovation Hub, Hanson Johnson.
