15,000 Applicants Battle for 3,000 Civil Service Jobs in Akwa Ibom

No fewer than 15,000 applicants are competing for 3,000 vacancies in the Akwa Ibom State civil service, Governor Umo Eno has disclosed.

Speaking during a monthly prayer service in Uyo on Sunday, the governor assured residents that the recruitment exercise would be fair, transparent, and strictly merit-based.

“The selection will be through a computer-based test that gives instant results. There are no slots and no favouritism,” Eno said, allaying fears of political influence in the process.

The state government had earlier announced that 1,000 workers would be recruited into each of the teaching, health, and core civil service sectors.

Past recruitment exercises in the state had been dogged by allegations of favouritism, raising concerns among job seekers.

Akwa Ibom, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, posted a 34.9 percent unemployment rate in 2023, with independent studies showing that more than half of its youth population remain jobless.

To address the crisis, the government has launched several initiatives, including the ARISE Youth Employment Portal and the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Scheme, aimed at boosting job creation and equipping young people with employable skills.