The Government of Pastor Umo Eno in Akwa Ibom State says unemployment has reduced in the state. What is the level of unemployment in Akwa Ibom State as at April 2025.
Executive summary
Official, comparable sub‑national unemployment figures for Akwa Ibom as of April 2025 are not available in the documents provided; the most recent authoritative nationwide labour survey that breaks down states is the 2023 Nigerian Labour Force Survey (NBS) and related state‑by‑state summaries, while more recent government statements and programmes describe efforts to create jobs but do not supply an updated, independently verifiable unemployment rate for April 2025 [1] [2] [3].
1. The latest published, comparable data comes from the 2023 NBS labour survey
The most recent comprehensive source that disaggregates unemployment by state is the Nigeria Labour Force Survey / annual report for 2023, which contains tables for Akwa Ibom by sex, education and age group and is the baseline for state comparisons used by aggregators such as Statista [1] [2].
2. Past NBS and media snapshots show large variation and political contestation
Earlier NBS releases and media summaries have repeatedly shown very high unemployment estimates for Akwa Ibom in the 2020–2021 period (figures referenced in reporting ranged in the 40s to over 50 per cent in some state‑level snapshots), but those figures have been contested by state officials; for example, federal statistics cited high rates while the Akwa Ibom government disputed a 51 percent figure in 2022 and offered a lower internal estimate of 29 percent [4] [5] [6].
3. National trends and measurement issues complicate state comparisons
National unemployment metrics published for Nigeria show divergent estimates over time (the national unemployment rate was reported at 4.9 percent for Q4 2024 in some macro series, while other NBS releases gave much higher labour‑market figures for earlier quarters), reflecting differences in survey methodology, the treatment of agricultural and informal work, and the distinction between unemployment and underemployment—factors that make direct comparisons across sources and dates difficult [7] [8].
4. Governor Eno’s administration cites job‑creation programmes but no verified April 2025 rate
Since taking office Governor Umo Eno has launched an employment portal and announced recruitment drives and programmes (including planned civil‑service intakes and youth employment initiatives) intended to reduce unemployment, but these announcements and recruitment targets are not the same as an independently measured unemployment rate for a specific date such as April 2025 [3] [9] [10].
5. What can be stated with confidence for April 2025 given available reporting
Based solely on the sources supplied, there is no independently published, state‑level unemployment statistic explicitly labeled “Akwa Ibom — April 2025”; the latest verifiable baseline remains the 2023 NBS data and subsequent public statements and programmes through 2024–2025 that describe interventions but do not produce a new official rate in the provided material [1] [3] [9].
6. Bottom line and avenues to verify an April 2025 figure
Any definitive claim about Akwa Ibom’s unemployment rate as at April 2025 requires either a formal NBS sub‑national release covering that period or an equivalent state statistical release; in the absence of such a publication in the supplied documents, the correct, evidence‑based answer is that a verified April 2025 unemployment rate for Akwa Ibom is not contained in the provided sources — stakeholders should consult the NBS website or the Akwa Ibom state statistical office for updated releases or an official labour‑force update [1] [2].