Dakkada Initiative and Poverty Alleviation in Akwa Ibom State

The Dakkada Initiative Programme, launched by the Akwa Ibom State Government, was designed to foster economic empowerment, self-reliance, and poverty alleviation through various interventions, including support for small-scale businesses and housing development. However, despite the programme’s intentions, it has been noted that there are many youths who are without skills and are not gainfully employed in the state. If the Dakkada programme lived up to its expectations, it would create employment opportunities and alleviate poverty in Akwa Ibom State. The study aimed to examine the impact of the Dakkada Initiative on poverty alleviation in Akwa Ibom State. One of the specific objectives was to examine the impact of the Dakkada Initiative on skill acquisition. Basic Needs Theory was adopted as the most relevant theory in the study. A descriptive design and survey method were adopted, and the study population was 4530. It was revealed that there is a positive and insignificant impact of the Dakkada initiative on skills acquisition development in Akwa Ibom State. The study revealed that there is a positive and insignificant impact of the Dakkada initiative programme on job creation in Akwa Ibom State. However, inadequate funding of the programme becomes one of its major challenges, which has led to the inability of the programme to achieve its purpose. The study therefore recommended, among others, that Akwa Ibom State Government should provide more skills acquisition programmes to many who are less privileged and that start-up packages be given upon completion of the training to make the programme more sustainable in order to enhance their standard of living in Akwa Ibom State.