By Ekanem Iniko
UYO — Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the House of Representatives candidate for Uyo/Ibesikpo Asutan/Nsit Atai/Uruan Federal Constituency, Mr. Ikakke Bassey, has presented a detailed legislative blueprint that places human capital transformation at the centre of his aspiration.
The Labour Party flagbearer unveiled the document titled “My Social Contract With Uyo Federal Constituency Bordering Jobs, Skills, Enterprise & Results: A Human Capital Transformation Agenda”, a comprehensive plan that seeks to reorient empowerment from certificate distribution to competence development.
According to Bassey, the manifesto is designed to make youths of the federal constituency not just employable in Nigeria but globally competitive.
In the preamble to the contract, he set the tone for his legislative philosophy, stressing that development must be people-driven with government as an enabler.
“The future of Uyo Federal Constituency must be built by the people of Uyo — and government must create conditions for them to succeed,” he stated.
The LP national assembly candidate said the problem of the constituency is not lack of talent but lack of opportunity to translate talent into sustainable income.
“Uyo Federal Constituency does not lack talented people, we lack sufficient opportunities to convert talent into income, businesses, industries and sustainable livelihoods. Our young people should not have to leave Uyo before they can find opportunities. Our graduates should not merely search for jobs; they should possess skills that make them employable anywhere in Nigeria and competitive anywhere in the world,” Bassey said.
He added that his vision is to professionalize the informal sector and free entrepreneurs from systemic barriers.
“Our artisans should not remain small operators; they should become professionally trained, certified and operate commercially competitive enterprises. Our entrepreneurs should not be trapped by lack of access to capital, markets, infrastructure and business knowledge. And government must not only make promises. Government must produce results that citizens can see, measure and experience,” he added.
Bassey disclosed that his agenda rests on four strategic pillars, with jobs and skills as the foundational pillars.
On job creation, he pledged to deploy legislative instruments to drive employment and industrial growth.
“I will use the legislative platform of the House of Representatives to advocate policies that expand employment opportunities, strengthen local industries and connect young Nigerians to emerging sectors of the economy,” he said.
To bridge the gap between school and work, he proposed an Employment and Apprenticeship Framework.
“I will advocate legislation and federal programs that encourage structured apprenticeship, internship and work-placement opportunities for young Nigerians. The objective is simple; no young person should be left with only a certificate and no pathway into the world of work,” he stated.
Bassey further explained the pathway his administration would pursue through collaboration.
“We will pursue partnerships involving government agencies, private companies, professional bodies and industries to create structured pathways, thus: School → Skill → Internship → Employment → Enterprise,” he said.
He listed high-value employment sectors his program will target to include Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Analytics, Software Development, Product Management, UX/UI Design, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, Digital Marketing, Renewable Energy, Oil & Gas services, Construction, Furniture and interior manufacturing, Fashion, Agriculture and Logistics.
He was emphatic on the purpose of the training:
“The goal is not simply to train people. The goal is to train people for markets that pay,” he emphasized.
On the second pillar, skills development, Bassey argued that academic certificates alone can no longer guarantee success in the modern economy.
“Nigeria’s education challenge cannot be solved by academic qualifications alone. The future economy requires people who can do things exceptionally well,” he said.
He announced what he called the “Uyo Skills Revolution” structured in three levels. Level One, he said, is Digital Literacy For All, which will target students, graduates, artisans, traders, women, people with disabilities, out-of-school youths and small business owners.
Enumerating the skills under Level One, he said it would cover “Computer operation, Microsoft Office, Internet research, Digital communication, Digital payments, Online business, Cybersecurity awareness, Basic data management, Artificial intelligence literacy.”
Level Two, according to him, will concentrate on Professional Digital Skills such as Data Science & Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, Product Management, UX/UI Design, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, Digital Marketing and Business Intelligence.
He explained that “The objective will be to move young people from basic computer literacy into globally marketable professional skills.”
Level Three will address Advanced Technical and Vocational Skills including furniture manufacturing, welding and fabrication, electrical installation, plumbing technology, solar technology, automobile diagnostics, building construction, industrial maintenance, fashion manufacturing, catering and printing.
Bassey maintained that the National Digital Literacy Framework already recognizes these competencies as critical for the future and insisted that technical skills must enjoy equal respect with academic degrees if Uyo Federal Constituency is to compete in the emerging economy.
