Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has commended his Senior Special Assistant on Female Mobilisation, Lady Edna Udeme, for her exceptional commitment to youth and women empowerment through the Female Youth Association (Purple Girls) initiative.
The Governor gave the commendation on Saturday, November 1, 2025, during the 9th Anniversary and Graduation Ceremony of the fifth batch of 200 trainees of the Association, held in Uyo.
Represented by the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, Governor Eno described Lady Edna as a worthy ambassador of the ARISE Agenda, whose efforts have provided hundreds of young women with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, thereby contributing to the state’s socioeconomic development.
In recognition of her work, the Governor announced a ₦20 million support grant to the Academy, encouraging other government appointees to emulate her initiative by investing in skills development and youth empowerment.
Governor Eno further urged the new graduates to put their training to good use, improve their livelihoods, and become active contributors to community development.
He also expressed confidence that the ripple effect of such grassroots empowerment efforts would help curb unemployment and build a culture of productivity among young women in the state.
In her remarks, Lady Edna Udeme said the Female Youth Association (Purple Girls) was established to equip female youths with skills that enable them to be self-reliant and to access government and private empowerment programmes. She expressed gratitude to Governor Eno and other stakeholders for their consistent support, reaffirming her commitment to advancing the goals of the ARISE Agenda.
The event featured goodwill messages from Hon. Oto Aaron, Chairperson of Nsit Ibom Local Government Area, and Mrs. Funmi Nkanga, Grand Matron of the Association and wife of a former Military Governor of the state. Both praised Lady Edna for her leadership and the impact of her initiative on the lives of Akwa Ibom women.
The high point of the ceremony was the presentation of empowerment materials, including sewing machines, beauty and hairdressing kits, baking tools, catering equipment, and photography gadgets, to the graduating trainees.
Governor Eno and Lady Obareki were presented with awards of recognition for their support and contributions to the success of the programme.
