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 improve service delivery.
The Head of the Akwa Ibom State Civil Service, Mrs Elsie Peters, disclosed the development during a media parley held to commence activities for the 2026 Public Service Day celebration.
According to Peters, the recruitment is part of Governor Umo Eno’s administration’s efforts to strengthen the state workforce and fill vacancies in critical sectors.
The approved recruitment covers several areas of the state public service, including education, healthcare, the judiciary, the mainstream civil service and other specialised fields.
The breakdown includes:
- 1,000 secondary school teachers
- 2,000 medical-sector personnel
- About 1,000 mainstream civil service workers
- 1,000 primary school personnel under SUBEB
- 1,000 judiciary officers
- 100 Occupational Safety Officers
- 25 Legal Officers for the Ministry of Justice
The government said the recruitment would help address identified manpower gaps while strengthening the capacity of public institutions to deliver services to residents.
Peters also outlined measures taken by the administration to improve the welfare of serving workers and retirees.
She said the state had paid more than ₦90 billion out of over ₦111 billion in inherited gratuity liabilities.
According to her, Akwa Ibom has also maintained regular payment of workers’ salaries and implemented the ₦80,000 minimum wage from November 2024.
Other measures highlighted include the introduction of a 13th-month salary, pension increases for retirees and the settlement of outstanding pension contributions.
The Head of Service said workers had also benefited from housing support, health insurance, welfare bonuses and continuous professional training.
Teachers, she added, had received wardrobe allowances, while modern working tools had been provided in various areas of the public service.
Peters said these initiatives were designed to improve working conditions and create an environment where public servants could perform their responsibilities more effectively.
On career progression, Peters said the administration had strengthened the promotion process through civil service examinations, the release of outstanding promotion results and the completion of the 2026 promotion exercise.
She said the measures had created opportunities for eligible officers to progress in their careers and contributed to improved motivation across the public service.
The appointment of new Permanent Secretaries and an acting Surveyor-General was also identified as part of efforts to strengthen the leadership structure of the state workforce.
While highlighting the welfare measures, Peters stressed that improved working conditions must be matched by greater productivity.
She urged public servants to maintain professionalism, integrity, discipline and dedication to duty.
She also encouraged workers to embrace innovation and remain committed to providing efficient services to the people of Akwa Ibom.
The latest recruitment approval comes as the state government continues efforts to expand its workforce in critical sectors, particularly education, healthcare, justice and the wider public service.
