Abia Women Delegates Conference 2025 : Governor Otti Reaffirms Women ’s Central Role In Governance

The 2025 Abia Women Delegates Conference held at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, on Tuesday, August 26, was a celebration of resilience, empowerment, and unity as Governor Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, and his wife, Her Excellency, Mrs. Priscilla Chidinma Otti, addressed thousands of women from across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.

Themed “Abia Women: United in Strength, Empowered for Purpose,” the third edition of the annual gathering brought together stakeholders, partners, and development actors in a colourful convergence of culture, ideas, and vision for the future of Abia women.

Delivering his speech titled “Purpose in Service,” Governor Otti described women as God’s special gift to humanity and pillars of society, noting that creation was incomplete until the woman was formed.

“Honouring and supporting women is in fact an act of worship to the One who made them,” Otti declared, commending Abia women for their sacrifices, resilience, and immense contributions to the growth of the state over the last 34 years.

The Governor paid tribute to the “everyday heroines” , mothers, teachers, traders, and caregivers whose quiet sacrifices sustain families and communities.

He acknowledged the critical role women played in his 2023 electoral victory, recalling their days of fasting, prayers, and courage that ensured Abia’s liberation.

“I owe you an eternal debt of gratitude,” he said. “Our unwavering commitment is to always put you first, above the designs of those who once sought to keep you in perpetual destitution.”

On women’s empowerment, the Governor outlined ongoing and new initiatives:

• Economic Empowerment: 60% of the N2 billion community-based cooperative fund has been reserved for women, especially farmers.
• Employment & Capacity Development: A majority of newly recruited teachers are women, while women also dominate beneficiaries in ICT, vocational training, and agriculture programmes.
• Healthcare: With new primary healthcare centres opened across communities, women are urged to take advantage of the State Health Insurance Scheme, now extended to the informal sector, to reduce maternal and infant mortality.
• Social Reorientation: Otti called on mothers to join government in combating drug abuse, crime, and desperation for wealth, stressing that society risks collapse if mothers do not resist behaviours harmful to youth.

“When women prosper, the community prospers,” the Governor said emphatically, assuring that his administration will remain favourably disposed to women in appointments, programmes, and policies.

In her spirited remarks, the First Lady, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, expressed pride and gratitude as she appreciated the Governor for consistently supporting Abia women “financially, morally, and in every way.”

Her Excellency celebrated the glamour and creativity displayed during the 2025 LGA August Meetings, joking that the delicacies women brought into the Government House left the community wishing the festivities could last longer.

She humorously suggested that men already clamouring for a “Men’s August Meeting” must first guarantee women 50% of elected and appointed positions.

The First Lady highlighted the generous contributions of partners, including:

• Chinese Consulate: food palliatives including rice, garri, oil, sugar, and noodles.
• Dangote Group: 10,000 bags of rice.
• MTN Nigeria: umbrellas and branded items.
• NURTW & Abia Tricycle/Motorcycle Operators: 300 wrappers.
• Nigerian Breweries: 100 packs of Amstel Malt.
• Flour Mills of Nigeria & NIVEA: sponsors of competitions and health/hygiene initiatives.

She announced fresh empowerment programmes:

• Skill Up Abia Women Project: Graduation of 54 young women in catering, pastries, and decoration, each supported to start businesses.
• Financial Empowerment: 340 women (20 from each LGA) to receive direct support to grow farms, trades, and enterprises.

“My sisters, times are changing, and so must we. Acquire new skills, innovate in business, and step into leadership,” she charged.

While urging women to aspire to global heights like Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Mrs. Otti reminded them of the importance of strong homes: “As we rise in business and leadership, let us also build families as places of love, dignity, and support. For the family is the bedrock of our state’s prosperity.”

She reaffirmed her office’s commitment to skills acquisition, girls’ education, care for widows, the elderly, survivors of gender-based violence, and vulnerable children.

“We will leave no one behind,” she promised, before closing with a prayer: “Together, hand in hand, we will build a brighter, inclusive, and prosperous Abia. God bless Abia Women. God bless Abia State. God bless Nigeria.”

The conference, which dovetailed into the 34th anniversary celebrations of Abia State, underscored the centrality of women in governance, community development, and family life. Both the Governor and the First Lady left participants with a unified message: Abia’s future is brighter when women are empowered, supported, and given the platforms to thrive.

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