February 27, (THEWILL) — The Akwa Ibom State Government has begun formalising women engaged in fishing and fish processing into registered cooperatives as part of a plan to unlock and deploy a ₦31 billion cooperative fund across the state’s 31 local government areas.
At a mobilisation programme in Uruan on February 25, the Deputy Governor, Akon Eyakenyi, said women organised under cooperative structures would qualify for traders’ and farmers’ grants tied to the fund.
She identified Uruan, a riverine community along the Cross River estuary, as a strategic fishing corridor with established supply links within and outside Akwa Ibom, noting that formalising operators would strengthen the fisheries value chain from catch to processing, storage and distribution.
According to Eyakenyi, cooperative structures would enable women to adopt improved and hygienic processing methods, meet market standards and access structured financing needed to scale operations.
The deputy governor said the initiative aligns with the agricultural development agenda of Governor Umo Eno, which seeks to transition small-scale producers into organised enterprises capable of attracting investment.
“Women who are into fishing can go into healthy processing. Through cooperatives, they can benefit from traders’ and farmers’ grants”, she said.
Officials said the cooperative framework would also provide a transparent mechanism for distributing grants across wards and local councils, with priority for grassroots producers in riverine communities.
Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady, Helen Obareki, urged sustained participation in cooperatives, while Uruan Council Chairman, Iniobong Ekpenyong, cited ongoing infrastructure projects in the area as complementary to economic initiatives.
Commissioner for Women Affairs, Inibehe Silas, called on women to complete voter registration and obtain National Identification Numbers to facilitate access to government programmes.
In a related development, women stakeholders in Uyo Local Government Area endorsed the cooperative drive and pledged support for the administration during a sensitisation tour on civic responsibilities held at Ibom Hall.
Addressing the gathering, Eyakenyi urged women to obtain Permanent Voter Cards and participate actively in governance, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to inclusion and grassroots development.
Uyo Council Chairman, Uwemedimo Udo, said women in the area remained supportive of the state government and the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, citing ongoing development projects.
The event drew women leaders, community stakeholders and grassroots mobilisers who linked the cooperative initiative to broader efforts to expand economic opportunities for women-led enterprises across the state.
