Impact of Ibom Christmas Village on Permanent Employment Creation and Human Capital Development in Akwa Ibom State

One of the primary functions of any government is the provision of a conducive environment necessary for maximum relaxation and recreational infrastructure. In recognition of this fact, states in Nigeria have developed various strategies aimed at encouraging their citizenry to develop their relaxation and recreation potentials for renew and greater productivity. In the pursuit of this lofty objective, the Akwa Ibom state government in addition to other efforts towards improving the welfare of her citizenry inaugurated the Ibom Christmas village to serve as a relaxation point for the citizenry. Arising from the phenomenal coincidence of the annual event with the strategic location, Ibom Christmas village has become a must attend destination to a significant number of people from within and without the state. With the overwhelming number of people who visit there yearly, it seems to become a large business hub and venue for human capital development of great repute. This study therefore became interested in studying the impact of Ibom Christmas village with the principal objective of ascertaining its impact on the business and human capital development of the people of the state. The study adopted the survey descriptive analysis design while the Casper Homan's rational theory was selected as the theoretical framework. The Population for research was 5,000,000, while the Pearson moment correlation analysis was used as a method of data collection. The study made recommendations on how to improve employment opportunities development and human capital development through Ibom Christmas village. Akwa Ibom State as the employment category cut across: Point of sale stands (POS), music/ entertainers, live band stands, private security personnel, product hawkers, products marketers, product sellers-drinks, popcorn stands. The study recommends among others that the Akwa Ibom State Government should be committed to funding of the Ibom Christmas village in diversifying into other sectors by introducing new attractions and activities to keep visitors engaged and interested. Secondly, that the Akwa Ibom State Government should enhance accessibility to the village by improving transportation options, providing clear signage, and ensuring that the facilities are wheelchair-friendly.