Cross River Governor Urges Youths to Enrol in Federal Economic Intervention Programme
Oru Leonard
The Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Edet Otu, has called on eligible youths across the state to register for the Federal Government’s Youths Economic Intervention and De-Radicalization Programme (YEIDEP), as the nationwide exercise for Batch B beneficiaries gains momentum.
The registration, which commenced on March 9, 2026, targets young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 50. Governor Otu described the initiative as a strategic intervention aligned with his administration’s “People First” agenda, noting that it complements ongoing empowerment and development programmes in the state.
YEIDEP, a Federal Government initiative, is designed to create employment opportunities for about 20,000 youths nationwide by providing start-up capital to encourage entrepreneurship and self-reliance. The programme also seeks to tackle unemployment, reduce youth frustration, and curb the risks of radicalization and social unrest.
Applicants from Cross River State are required to open bank accounts with designated financial institutions, including United Bank for Africa, Wema Bank, Zenith Bank, Keystone Bank, Access Bank, Lotus Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Fidelity Bank Nigeria, Alpha Morgan Bank, and Union Bank of Nigeria.
They are to submit their account details alongside personal information such as date of birth, phone number, state, local government area, and community of origin to the Desk Officer at the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, Establishments Building, New Secretariat, Calabar. Submissions can also be made through desk officers at local government council headquarters.
The government emphasized that the registration process is completely free, warning applicants against paying any fees at any stage.
Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Patrick Egbede, reiterated the state government’s commitment to ensuring that eligible youths benefit from the programme.
