By TheDailyNewsHub
The Akwa Ibom State Government has approved the recruitment of 7,069 personnel into various sectors of the state public service as part of efforts to address manpower shortages and strengthen service delivery.
The Head of the State Civil Service, Mrs Elsie Peters, disclosed this during a media parley in Uyo to commence activities for the 2026 Public Service Day celebration.
According to Peters, the recruitment and approvals cover several critical areas of the state public service, including education, healthcare, the mainstream civil service, the judiciary and specialised professional services.
Among those recruited or approved for recruitment are 1,000 secondary school teachers, 2,000 personnel for the medical sector, about 1,000 mainstream civil service workers, 1,000 primary school personnel under the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), 1,000 judiciary officers, 100 occupational safety officers and 25 legal officers for the Ministry of Justice.
The figures represent personnel recruited or approved across a period rather than 7,069 appointments being announced as a single recruitment exercise. Earlier reports also indicated that about 4,000 general workers had been recruited by May 2026, alongside approvals for additional teachers and recruitment into the health sector and other critical areas.
Peters said the recruitment was aimed at filling critical manpower gaps, strengthening institutional capacity and improving the quality of public services across the state.
The disclosure comes as the state government highlights measures it says have been taken to improve workers’ welfare under Governor Umo Eno’s administration.
Peters said the government had paid more than ₦90 billion out of inherited gratuity liabilities of over ₦111 billion owed to retired public servants. She added that the state had maintained regular salary payments and implemented an ₦80,000 minimum wage from November 1, 2024.
She also cited the continuation of the state’s 13th-month salary, popularly known as “Eno-Mber”, as well as pension-related interventions and other welfare measures.
On housing, Peters said 150 completed two-bedroom expandable houses under the Grace Estate initiative had been allocated free of charge to civil servants on Grade Levels 1 to 8 through a raffle process.
Meanwhile, the state has an official ARISE Youth Employment Portal, which provides information on employment opportunities and allows eligible Akwa Ibom youths to register their details for consideration for public- and private-sector opportunities. The portal currently lists job opportunities, including a recruitment exercise for CNG bus drivers announced on September 9, 2026.
The latest recruitment figures are therefore part of the state government’s broader effort to expand its workforce and fill vacancies in essential services.