The Truth About “1 Youth, 2 Skills”: Empowerment or Political Palliative?

The Anambra State Government recently announced that it shared ₦300,000 to youths under the guise of “empowerment.” But the reality is clearer than ever: this is not empowerment — it is simply a political tool to mobilize votes ahead of the November 8 governorship election.

Let’s ask the right questions:

Can ₦300,000 rent a shop, talk more of buying equipment needed to set up a business?

How long will ₦300,000 last — one month, two months — before it ends up in food and survival, not investment?

What business can realistically start with ₦300,000 and grow into a billion-naira enterprise in 20 years?

True empowerment builds businesses that last for decades, creating jobs and wealth. Countries like America and China are thriving today because, years ago, they invested heavily in SMEs and start-ups — businesses that today drive their economies. But here in Anambra, instead of building legacies, the government keeps handing out stipends dressed up as “empowerment.”

The Deception Behind the Program

The so-called 1 Youth, 2 Skills initiative has repeatedly failed to deliver real results:

Trainees were allegedly forced to register as APGA members to participate. Is empowerment for the whole state or for a political party?

The first batch of 5,000 trainees has no tangible success story to show. No shops opened, no thriving businesses — just wasted time and resources.

The government promised cooperatives 5 million naira ASBA loans and shop spaces to help trainees establish businesses. Till today, these promises remain unfulfilled.

Instead of monitoring progress, the state quickly rolled out “Batch B” of over 10,000 trainees — all for publicity and political optics, not youth development.

Even worse, at the graduation ceremony, it is not the trainees’ products that are showcased, but those of the trainers hired by government. Pure arrangee to deceive the public.

The Reality of the Stipend

What we are seeing is palliative politics, not empowerment.

Youths receive stipends that can barely sustain one.

Many were even compelled to use part of the money to buy uniforms for a political support group — SYPSG (Solution Youth Preneurs Support Group) — set up to mobilize support for Soludo’s re-election.

The training duration itself is too short for anyone to master a skill and build a business.

If the state truly cared, it would train fewer youths but empower each with enough capital (₦2m–₦5m each) to build sustainable businesses. That is how you create entrepreneurs and job creators, not political cheerleaders.

Enough of the Deceit

This program is nothing but vote-buying disguised as empowerment. Anambra youths must open their eyes to the reality: real empowerment is not giving out ₦300k stipends but creating an environment where businesses can be born, nurtured, and scaled.

If the government is serious about empowerment, let them show us verifiable beneficiaries from the first phase who are now running sustainable businesses.

If they want to empower, let them invest in real capital, infrastructure, and loans — not political palliatives.

On November 8, the youths must decide: do we want token handouts or true empowerment that can shape the future?

Anambra youths, it’s time to demand real development — not political deception.

©️ Ukachukwu – Ekwunife Directorate of Media and Communication