Governor Umo Eno launched the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre (Ibom-LED) on September 23, 2023, transforming a defunct e-library along IBB Avenue in Uyo into a hub for entrepreneurship training and business creation. The initiative, backed by ₦250 million in initial funding, allocated ₦50 million for training and disbursed ₦500,000 grants to 400 participants from the remaining ₦200 million. Ibom-LED's model integrates skills development with business formalisation, linking participants to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration, NAFDAC for product certification, and the Bank of Industry for financing. By early 2025, over 1,200 entrepreneurs had completed the programme, joining an alumni network aimed at sustaining mentorship and investment opportunities. In February 2025, the state released an additional ₦550 million in grants targeting female entrepreneurs and cultural enterprises, followed in March by equipment support for 2,000 more entrepreneurs in tailoring, welding, catering and transport services, including the provision of buses and cars. A key pillar of the strategy involves redirecting public procurement to locally trained entrepreneurs, with state contracts for school uniforms, security outfits and catering increasingly awarded to graduates of the programme. This shift aims to keep government spending within the local economy, reducing capital flight. The state's investment in Ibom Paint, a local manufacturing facility, exemplifies this integration of training, production and public demand into a single economic framework.
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