Enugu State Governor Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah has called on youths in the state to actively pursue employment and skills development opportunities provided by the Federal Government, saying access, preparation, and meaningful connections are the keys to unlocking their potential.
Governor Mbah delivered the message through the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, at the Peter Eze Youth Connect programme, organised by the Federal Character Commission (FCC) at the Enugu International Conference Centre.
Five Enugu Youths Win Fully Funded US Scholarships
At the event themed "Beyond Quotas: Unlocking Opportunities for Enugu Youths Through the Federal Character Commission," thousands of youths, graduates, entrepreneurs, farmers, professionals, and development partners from across the state gathered. The governor pointed to the award of five fully funded scholarships for study in the United States as a concrete example of opportunity in action. The scholarships, sponsored by friends of Peter Eze in the diaspora, were described by Mbah as potentially life-changing for the recipients and their families.
"Five lives. Five families. Five young people whose possibilities may be completely different because somebody created a connection. That is what opportunity looks like. It is no longer an idea. It has a face," Mbah said, in a statement made available to Legit.ng on Friday, September 11, 2026.
Federal Character Principle and Access to Opportunity
While acknowledging the role of the federal character principle in ensuring fair representation in government appointments and recruitment, the governor argued that access to opportunity mattered just as much as entitlement to a quota. "A quota tells you what you are entitled to. Access shows you what is possible," he said.
Mbah also referenced technical and skills-development programmes in China that have allowed young people from the South-East to acquire new expertise. He said their return home could drive enterprise and innovation in the region. He highlighted other initiatives under the Peter Eze programme, such as linking young farmers to international markets and providing career guidance, as evidence that representation could go beyond names on lists to actually changing lives.
He pointed to two developing partnerships in Enugu as further proof of this direction: the concession of Akanu Ibiam International Airport to boost trade and connectivity, and a collaboration between the Nigerian Communications Commission and the state government to convert a Federal Government Digital Industrial Park into an Enugu Talent City and Artificial Intelligence Institute.
FCC Chair Warns Against Jobs-for-Sale Mentality
FCC Chairman Mrs Ayo Omidiran told attendees that Federal Government jobs are open to every qualified Nigerian and made clear that no position is for sale. She said the commission would push back against any agency that denies a state its rightful share of employment opportunities, and she encouraged young Nigerians to apply for vacancies as they are advertised rather than assume the outcomes are already fixed.
The event's convener, Mr Peter Eze, echoed that message, urging youths to prepare themselves thoroughly, apply for genuine openings, and report anyone who demands money in exchange for a government job.
Mbah Approves Monthly Subvention for Workers
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that Governor Mbah approved an additional N115 million monthly subvention for ESUT as ASUU's strike continued to disrupt academic activities. The new funding will raise the state government's total monthly support to ESUT from N161 million to N276 million. The Enugu SSG appealed to ASUU members at ESUT to suspend the strike and return to classrooms in the interest of students.
