Editorial
On May 27, 2025, the children of Akwa Ibom State joined their peers across Nigeria in celebrating Children’s Day. This year’s theme, “Tapping the Untapped Nature Treasure,” was both timely and profound. It called attention not only to the rich environmental resources that lie dormant across the state but also to the vast potentials embedded in every child.
Nature’s wealth in Akwa Ibom is undeniable: lush mangrove forests, pristine beaches like Ibeno, rich biodiversity in the state’s wetlands, abundant agricultural products in the arable soil, and mineral resources especially crude oil beneath its soil. These are treasures in the conventional sense—untapped sources of tourism, agriculture, and green energy that can transform the state’s economy if managed sustainably. But, the theme challenges us to look beyond the natural resources.
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For the children of Akwa Ibom, and by extension Nigeria, treasure takes many forms. It is access to quality education, clean air, safe play spaces, the ability to dream without fear and the freedom to exercise the innate abilities without any inhibitions. It is the right to good healthcare, to be protected from harm, and to be nurtured to grow into responsible citizens. It is the opportunity to learn and to lead—whether in technology, the environment, or creative arts.
Governor Umo Eno’s administration, under the ARISE Agenda, is taking steps to lay the groundwork for these treasures to be accessible to all children. Investments in model schools, vocational training, and child protection initiatives reflect a growing commitment to secure the future of Akwa Ibom’s young people.
Cultural initiatives such as “Miss Environment Akwa Ibom 2025” and calls for a review of the Child Rights Law by Lady Helen Eno-Obareki, the First Lady’s coordinator, reinforce the idea that children must be both protected and empowered to advocate for themselves and their environment.
As children, forget not Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan was a child when she stood up for girls right to education. Despite facing challenges, she became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner using her voice as a tool of change.
Zuriel Oduwole, a Nigerian – American girl began making documentaries at age 10. By 14, she had interviewed global presidents, pushing education for girls in Africa.
Gitanjali Rao, a teenager from the United States, used science to solve water pollution problems and was named TIME’s kid of the year in 2020.
To the children of Akwa Ibom: you are not just the leaders of tomorrow—you are active participants in shaping your communities today. The treasures around you—trees, rivers, animals, clean air—depend on your care and curiosity. Learn to protect them. Ask questions, plant trees, use your hands to come out of lethargy, keep your surroundings clean, and dream big.
Respect your teachers and elders, but also respect the earth. Use your voice to speak up for what is right and fair. Whether you live in the city or in the village, know that your ideas and talents matter. And spend greater time on reading of books rather than in surfing internet.
Stay in school, stay safe, and stay kind.
As Akwa Ibom looks to diversify its economy through non-oil products and build a sustainable future, its richest resource remains its children. Let us commit to nurturing them with the same dedication we promise to give the land, rivers, and skies.
”I call on parents and guardians to guide their children from ills such as cultism, drug abuse, and other vices that may inhibit their growth and development. The Biblical injunction in Proverbs 23:6 has brought home this admonition vividly: “Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it,” Governor Eno enjoined.
The future belongs to those who prepare for it—and Akwa Ibom’s children, if guided well, are ready to lit the candle and lead by example.
