The Abia State Government has unveiled a multi-sectoral strategy to drive sustainable economic growth, focusing on food security, industrialization, mineral resource development, and environmental sustainability.
At a press briefing following this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, announced that the government will soon flag off its 2025 Wet Season Rice Farming Programme through the In-Growers Scheme.
This initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Agriculture, targets the cultivation of 8,500 hectares of rice across communities in the Abia North rice belt, including verified rice clusters in Ndi-Okereke Abam (over 500 hectares), Owerrinta (150 hectares), and other areas such as Bende, Nkpa, Ofeme, Ozuitem, and Ndioji Abam.
The programme, designed to aggregate farmers’ cooperatives across key crop value chains, aligns with the state’s broader food security and agro-economic revival agenda. Notably, the ongoing CSS Farms collaboration has recorded a 90% success rate among beneficiaries, reinforcing the viability of the government’s agricultural investment model.
To expand investor participation, the deadline for expressions of interest in recovered plantation assets has been extended to May 15, 2025.
Prince Kanu emphasized the administration’s shift toward attracting “seasoned and credible investors” to revitalize Abia’s agricultural landscape.
In parallel, Abia State is making significant strides in industrial development through the Abia Industrial Innovation Park (AIIP) in Ukwa West Local Government Area. Construction of a 10,000-barrel-per-day modular refinery, operated by HSI and approved by the Federal Government, is set to begin fully in the second quarter of 2025. Bush clearing and earthworks have commenced, and compensation to affected landowners has been completed.
Highlighting the importance of energy security, the state government is also working with NNPC Port Harcourt Refinery and NNPC Retail Management to secure regular petroleum product allocations for Abia, especially as the Osisioma depot becomes fully operational.
To diversify the state’s economic base further, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources has launched a statewide study on solid minerals to assess the volume and commercial viability of deposits such as limestone, kaolin, lignite, granite, lead, and zinc. The findings will inform strategic mining partnerships and investment policies.
Abia State will also participate in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bonn, Germany, from June 16–26, 2025. Kanu said this global engagement demonstrates the Otti-led administration’s commitment to climate adaptation, green energy, and sustainable development.
Meanwhile, the government continues to prioritize infrastructure, with work ongoing at 36 locations under direct labour and 31 road construction sites under contract. Recent projects include the Bende-Idima-Abam Road, Ariaria-Timber Market Road in Aba, and the dualization of the Obuaku-Industrial City Road in Ukwa West LGA.
In another development, the enforcement date for registration of commercial vehicles in the state has been shifted from May 1 to June 1, 2025, to give operators more time to comply.
These coordinated initiatives reaffirm Governor Otti’s vision for a self-reliant, investment-ready, and economically vibrant Abia State.
Commissioners Prince Okey Kanu (Information), Professor Joel Ogbonna (Petroleum), Dr. Cliff Agbaeze (Agriculture), and senior media aides to the Governor, including Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma and Mr. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, were present at the briefing.
