Thousands of women in Oruk Anam and Ukanafun local government areas of Akwa Ibom State have endorsed President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governor Umo Eno for re-election.
The endorsement was during a Women Sensitisation Tour on civic responsibilities organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, held at council halls in both local government areas.
The exercise focused on encouraging women to register for Permanent Voter Cards and participate actively in the democratic process ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during the tour, the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, urged women to take advantage of ongoing PVC registration, replacement and revalidation exercises, describing the voter’s card as the most important instrument of democratic participation.
She said the sensitisation drive was designed to ensure that women were not excluded from governance decisions, noting that their collective votes would be used to support leaders they believe have delivered tangible benefits.
The political mobilisation coincided with the commissioning of 13 oil palm processing mills and one cassava processing mill across all wards in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
Governor Umo Eno, who was represented by the Deputy Governor at the event in Ikot Omono, said the facilities were established in partnership with the Nigeria For Women Project to boost productivity, create jobs and improve women’s livelihoods.
He said similar facilities had been deployed in six pilot local government areas of the state, bringing the total number of mills to 60, and urged beneficiaries to manage the projects responsibly to ensure sustainability.
The Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady, Helen Eno-Obareki, said the project addressed the everyday realities of women, particularly through the inclusion of mother-and-child care centres at the processing sites, allowing women to work without neglecting childcare responsibilities.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Inibehe Silas Etukudo, said the projects would stimulate economic activity in Oruk Anam and reaffirmed that women remained central to the state’s development agenda.
Providing an overview of the facilities, the State Coordinator of the Nigeria For Women Project, Ofonime Etuknwa, said Oruk Anam was unique in hosting 14 projects. She added that each palm oil mill had the capacity to produce up to eight drums of oil daily, with plans to scale production ahead of the next harvest season.
Local government chairmen in Oruk Anam and Ukanafun, as well as political leaders and women representatives, welcomed both the sensitisation tour and the commissioning of the mills, pledging to mobilise women for PVC registration and proper utilisation of the facilities.
Earlier in the day, women in both local government areas also benefited from a medical outreach organised by the Ministry of Health, which provided health talks and basic services.
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