As Abia State prepares to mark its 35th anniversary, the administration of Governor Alex Otti has unveiled a fresh package of interventions spanning healthcare, housing, infrastructure, human capital development and technology, reaffirming its resolve to mark the milestone with projects that deliver tangible benefits to residents rather than ceremonies alone.

The decisions were announced following the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Otti.This include the deployment of technology to track high-risk pregnancies, the expansion of functional Primary Healthcare Centres, recruitment of additional healthcare professionals, rehabilitation of housing estates and the development of a new pocket housing scheme in Umuahia.

The administration said the 35th anniversary would be used to commission completed projects and flag off new ones across the State, describing the approach as a deliberate departure from the traditional celebration of state anniversaries through ceremonies and awards.
Governor Otti’s administration maintained that the best way to celebrate Abia is by delivering projects that improve the lives of its people.

At the centre of the healthcare interventions is Cytrack, a locally developed digital application being piloted by the Ministry of Health to identify and monitor high-risk pregnancies across the State.
The technology is particularly designed to support teenage pregnancies, women without supervised antenatal care and expectant mothers at risk of delivering without skilled birth attendants.

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Cytrack captures essential demographic and pregnancy information, including age and last menstrual period, enabling health officials to determine expected delivery dates, monitor antenatal appointments and maintain contact with pregnant women throughout pregnancy and delivery.
The application also sends reminders to pregnant women, while responsible adults in communities can help ensure that high-risk expectant mothers attend scheduled antenatal appointments.

The technology has already been used by health workers to monitor several teenage pregnancies and facilitate safe deliveries at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, providing a practical demonstration of how digital innovation can be deployed to address real healthcare challenges.

The State Government also announced that Abia has emerged as Nigeria’s number one state in healthcare affordability and among the top three states in healthcare quality, according to the latest Philips Consulting State Performance Index.
Abia was also reported as the only state to achieve top-three positions in 13 of 16 indicators of good governance based on citizens’ perception, reinforcing the administration’s claim of measurable progress across multiple sectors.

At the grassroots level, the first 50 functionalised Primary Healthcare Centres accounted for more than 20 per cent of the over 1.067 million outpatient visits recorded across the State between July 2025 and June 2026.
With three additional PHCs functionalised between July 27 and August 10, the number of functionalised Primary Healthcare Centres in Abia has now risen to 151.

Similarly, enrolment in the Abia State Health Insurance Scheme increased from 233,000 to 237,000 beneficiaries between July 27 and August 7, 2026.
The administration also commended the Abiriba Community Improvement Union, North America Chapter, for pledging to sponsor 1,000 indigent persons under the State Health Insurance Scheme, urging other communities and organisations to emulate the initiative.
The State recorded no outbreak of major public-health diseases during the period under review, including Ebola, Lassa fever, COVID-19, diphtheria, cholera, mpox and yellow fever.

To strengthen the healthcare workforce, the State Civil Service Commission is commencing another round of recruitment of medical professionals.
The exercise follows the employment of 742 medical personnel by the Otti administration so far.
The new recruitment will focus on medical officers, dental officers and consultants, including full-time and part-time consultants, with the application portal scheduled to open on Monday night, August 10.

Beyond healthcare, the State Executive Council has directed the Ministry of Housing to sanitise and rehabilitate the World Bank Housing Estate at Abayi Umuocham, Aba, following concerns over the deteriorating condition of the estate.
The intervention will cover roads and other infrastructure, alongside remedial works aimed at restoring the estate and improving the living environment of residents.
An inspection of the estate revealed various forms of misuse and neglect, including street trading and farming along estate roads.

The government said the rehabilitation would include road improvements and street lighting, while activities contributing to the deterioration of the estate, particularly trading and farming along roads, would no longer be tolerated.

The Ministry of Housing will also collaborate with the Ministry of Works to undertake rainy-season maintenance works at Amaoba Housing Estate, Umuahia, pending the permanent reconstruction of the estate roads.
The State Government has equally provided a new transformer to alleviate electricity challenges confronting residents of the estate.

The proposed Pocket Housing Layout in Umuahia is also progressing, with the State planning to provide different categories of quality residential accommodation.
The scheme will comprise detached five-bedroom houses with boys’ quarters, semi-detached houses, and two- and three-bedroom blocks of flats.
Registration of intending subscribers will commence through an Expression of Interest process, followed by the opening of a dedicated payment portal.

The government said the scheme would operate on a transparent, first-come, first-served basis, with an off-plan payment structure requiring 30 per cent at the commencement of construction, 40 per cent around the midpoint and the remaining 30 per cent upon completion.
Contractors are expected to mobilise to site within the next week, with the government targeting completion within the next few months after flag-off.
The first occupants are expected to take possession of the houses by the end of 2026 or early 2027.

As Abia marks 35 years of state creation, the Otti administration said the anniversary would serve as a platform for commissioning completed projects and flagging off new ones across the State.
Rather than focusing primarily on celebrations, the government said the occasion would demonstrate the transformation taking place across Abia through investments in healthcare, housing, infrastructure, human capital development and technology-driven public services.
The administration said the emerging picture is that of a “New Abia” being built through practical interventions capable of delivering measurable value to the people.
The projects and reforms, it added, reflect Governor Otti’s determination to build a healthier, better-planned, more prosperous and more liveable Abia, while using the State’s 35th anniversary to demonstrate that development is best celebrated through tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has directed the immediate acceleration of plans for the flag-off and delivery of the proposed Aba Commercial Smart City, describing the project as a potential game changer in the transformation and repositioning of Aba as a modern commercial hub.

Governor Otti gave the directive at the Government House, Umuahia, during a business meeting with the leadership and promoters of the Aba Commercial Smart City project.
The Governor charged the project partners to move swiftly from the planning stage to implementation, directing the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Public Private Partnership and Investment Promotion Office, Mr. Chinedu Chijioke, to work out the necessary details and facilitate the process towards the project’s flag-off.

Otti stressed that his administration would not embark on projects it could not complete, insisting that Abia State has no room for abandoned projects.
“We have been on this Smart City project. Like the Ultimate Commander himself said, after the last meeting, we needed to move from the drawing board to implementation,” the Governor said.
According to him, the availability of funding remained critical to translating the vision into a tangible project.
“The only way to implement a project is when there is funding. You can have beautiful visions; they remain visions. They can’t be a project until there is money. I am happy that we are at that point where a lot of efforts have been made,” Otti stated.

The Governor said his administration had deliberately built a reputation around project completion, noting that projects that could not be delivered would not be initiated in the first place.
“In Abia State, we don’t have abandoned projects. Any project that we cannot see to delivery does not even kick-start. So, that’s the reputation we have built, and we are not going to depart from it.”

He therefore urged the project promoters to fast-track their processes to enable the state government reach the point of formal flag-off and subsequent delivery.
Otti further described the Aba Commercial Smart City as a project capable of transforming the economic fortunes of Aba if implemented according to plan.
“It promises to be a game changer if we deliver what we had discussed earlier. That’s the direction the world is going — technology, everything smart,” he said.
The Governor assured the project team of the state government’s readiness to provide the necessary support to accelerate its implementation, while commending the partners for the progress already made.

Speaking at the meeting, the Chief Executive Officer of Aba Commercial Smart City and former Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said the successful implementation of the project would contribute significantly to restoring Aba to its former commercial prominence.
Nebo commended Governor Otti for what he described as demonstrated capacity in governance, while urging stakeholders to support the Smart City initiative.
“This vision will bring back Aba. This project alone, in addition to the myriad of things you, Gov. Otti, have done, will have your name engraved. This is a project that all of us need to support,” he said.
He also commended the PPP and Investment Promotion Office and the entire Abia State Government team for their professionalism and commitment to the project.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Aba Commercial Smart City and former Inspector-General of Police, Sir Dr. Mike Okiro, alongside the Founder and President of the project, Ambassador Osita Offor, popularly known as the “Ultimate Commander,” said they were at Government House in response to the Governor’s earlier directive for the promoters to present a financially realistic position of the project.
The project promoters informed Governor Otti that, working with their financial adviser and partnering banks, they were presenting an initial ₦20 billion funding commitment towards the project.
They expressed appreciation to the Governor for providing the necessary support and creating an enabling environment for the project to advance.

As his administration approaches its third anniversary in office, Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has unveiled a comprehensive account of achievements across critical sectors, declaring that his government has restored security, rebuilt public trust, reduced debt, revived infrastructure, strengthened healthcare and education, and repositioned the state for sustainable economic growth.

Governor Alex Otti has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and the welfare of Abians, while highlighting major achievements recorded in nearly three years of governance.

Speaking during the May edition of his monthly media engagement with Abians, Governor Otti said his administration has made significant progress in human capital development, infrastructure renewal, fiscal responsibility, social justice, security, education, healthcare, transportation, sanitation, and economic reforms.

“We are happy that this administration, in another week, will clock three years in office, and I think it is appropriate to discuss some of the things that have been achieved,” the Governor said.
According to him, one of the major successes of his government has been the restoration of public confidence in governance through visible development and prudent management of state resources.
“The most important part of this administration is the impact it has made in human capital development, infrastructure renewal, fiscal responsibility, and social justice in restoring the dignity of our people. We are rebuilding trust in governance and government,” Otti stated.

Governor Otti disclosed that his administration has restored relative peace and security across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state through deliberate interventions, particularly the launch of Operation Crush.
He cited Umunneochi LGA, once plagued by banditry and criminal activities, as a success story, noting that traditional leaders from the area recently paid him a thank-you visit following the liberation of affected communities.
“The LGA was previously under the control of bandits, but when we came in, barely a month or two later, we launched Operation Crush and liberated all those communities,” he said.

The Governor said his administration has ensured regular salary payments to workers, maintaining payment by the 28th of every month, while pensioners are also receiving their entitlements consistently.
He further disclosed that Abia’s debt burden has reduced by 60 percent, attributing the achievement to prudent financial management and fiscal discipline.

Otti also revealed that his government has recovered several illegally acquired government lands and properties, warning that criminal appropriation of public assets would no longer be tolerated.

On infrastructure, Governor Otti announced that his administration has completed 414 road projects spanning approximately 864.12 kilometres within three years, while 82 additional roads covering about 212 kilometres are currently under construction.
He noted that road projects are complemented with street lighting and drainage systems, while a zero-pothole and maintenance policy has been introduced to preserve infrastructure.

Several completed projects, he added, would be commissioned beginning next week as part of activities marking the administration’s third anniversary.

In healthcare, the Governor disclosed that the state has recruited 821 healthcare professionals, with 771 already resumed, while others remain at different stages of recruitment.
He stated that 277 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) have been retrofitted across the 184 wards of the state, with over 180 already fully functionalized.
Otti also highlighted ongoing upgrades in secondary healthcare facilities at Ohafia, Arochukwu, and Umunneato, while the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Amachara, is undergoing reconstruction.

Additionally, he announced the completion of General Hospitals in Obingwa and Arochukwu, which will be commissioned during the anniversary celebrations.

Governor Otti revealed that public school enrolment has increased significantly, with over 300,000 new students enrolled, attributing the rise to reforms in the education sector.
He said 5,394 teachers recruited by the state resumed work last year, while another 4,000 teachers are currently being recruited.
To improve school infrastructure, Otti stated that renovated schools are now being fenced, while dilapidated structures across the state are being addressed to ensure schools meet minimum standards.
He further disclosed that two smart schools are ready for commissioning, while three additional smart schools will be completed by June.

The Governor also highlighted progress in tertiary institutions, including Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Abia State University (ABSU), and the College of Education, Arochukwu, noting that accreditations have been restored and new faculties are under construction.

In the area of lands and public buildings, Governor Otti said the state has issued 4,077 Certificates of Occupancy, completed the New Abia Master Plan, and digitized over four million land-related documents to curb fraud and enhance transparency.

On sanitation, he noted that following the declaration of a state of emergency on sanitation, Abia has become one of the cleanest states in Nigeria.
According to him, over 13 tonnes of waste are evacuated weekly, while more than 2,000 jobs have been created through the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA).

Governor Otti,however, disclosed that the state’s transport initiative has conveyed over 326,000 passengers, while 20 new buses are expected by July and another 30 buses before year-end.
He announced that the Umuahia Multimodal Transport Terminal has been completed and would be commissioned on May 27, while the Aba terminal is expected to be completed next year.

To support transportation sustainability, the Governor said the government is installing solar hybrid charging systems for buses and has delivered 70 bus shelters across Umuahia and Aba.

In the power sector, Otti said the state has acquired electricity distribution assets covering Umuahia, Bende, Ohafia, Ikwuano, and Umunneochi, while over 50 transformers and 10,000 solar lights have been procured under the Light Up Abia programme.
He added that the Abia State Electricity Agency has been established to drive reforms aimed at guaranteeing stable electricity supply.

Governor Otti revealed that the government is in the final stages of selling the Abia Beverages Company, acquired from AMCON, while discussions are ongoing regarding the sale of the Star Paper Mill, with the state retaining 10 percent equity in the beverages company.
He also announced plans to establish an SME and Innovation Hub in Aba in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

According to him, TechRise Cohort 3 is currently training about 850 persons in digital and innovation skills to foster entrepreneurship and employment.
The Governor further disclosed plans to ensure statewide 3G network coverage, emphasizing that his administration remains committed to improving living conditions and creating opportunities for all Abians.
“This government remains focused and determined to improve the welfare of our people, develop the state, create jobs, and make life easier for all Abians,” Governor Otti assured.