Abia State has emerged top at the Nigerian Sustainability Financing Programme, bringing the State closer to accessing climate finance and attracting green investments to the State.
The National Team Leader of The Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE), Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuoke, disclosed this on Wednesday, March 4th, during a meeting with Governor Alex Otti in his office.
Mr Ugwuoke said that within eight months, beginning from July 2025, PACE conducted a Climate Finance Readiness Assessment for the State to evaluate existing systems and institutional structures.
He noted that the assessment identified external bottlenecks and produced a reform action plan that has already been agreed upon by the State government and the organisation.
Mr. Ugwuoke added that the team also provided technical input into the review and the finalisation of the Abia Development Plan prior to its launch.
He added that the Abia Climate Change Policy is about 99 per cent complete and undergoing final review before submission for adoption by the State government.
Mr. Ugwuoke said that as part of private sector engagement, four companies from Abia participated alongside firms from Kano, Kaduna and other States, describing the Abia delegation as outstanding during the session, noting that PACE facilitated connections between Abia-based businesses and potential investors through the Nigeria Sustainable Finance platform.
The leader of the PACE delegation further informed the Governor that the State’s validated investment pipeline included projects in energy, transport and sustainable infrastructure, covering gas and solar energy initiatives, the revamping and modernisation of Abia Line transport services, clean energy transportation projects, solar micro-grids, waste-to-wealth ventures and a low-carbon geopolymer cement project valued between $40 million and $60 million among others.
He urged Abia State Government to consider establishing a Climate Resilient Fund within the next 60 to 90 days to strengthen investors confidence and support technical advisory services, and promised to provide advisory to the State government.
Responding, Governor Otti commended PACE for its intervention in Abia and reaffirmed the State government’s commitment to sustainable development.
While acknowledging the global concerns surrounding climate change, the Governor said that developing regions that contributed minimally to global emissions should not bear disproportionate responsibility.
Governor Otti informed the delegation that Abia had taken proactive steps, including the introduction of electric buses under its transport reform programme. The Governor informed the team that the electric buses operated free of charge from December, 2025 before fares were introduced this March 2026, adding that, the battery powered buses have proven to be cheaper and easier to maintain than internal combustion engine vehicles.
The State Chief Executive added that the State government had also invested heavily on solar-powered street lights and are currently exploring alternative energy solutions to strengthen power supply in the State.
Governor Otti, who said that his administration remains committed to supporting local businesses and positioning Abia as a destination for climate finance and green growth, assured the team of the government’s readiness to collaborate with it.
In their contributions, some beneficiaries of the PACE – facilitated support initiative including, the Chairman of Vostok Meridian Limited, Dr Sunny Alison, the founder of Hemeko Renewable Solutions, Mr Hemenandu Nwachukwu among others while commending Governor Alex Otti for the enabling environment he has provided in Abia State, thanked the organisation for its support.
Dr Alison in particular, disclosed plans to invest in transportation and logistics, including support for the emerging airport project, cargo operations and integrated multimodal transport systems covering road, rail, air and sea.
Dr Alison added that the company would introduce modern and environmentally friendly transport solutions to complement the State’s development vision.
Mr Nwachukwu, who is the founder of Hemeko Geopolymer Cement Industrial Platform, said that through the State-backed readiness assessment, facilitated by PACE, his firm was exposed to funding windows under global and domestic climate finance frameworks.
He said that his company was among a few selected to attend the Nigerian Sustainable Finance Initiative Summit held recently in Lagos, where participants were sensitised on available climate funds and investment opportunities. He added that the technology developed had been validated by Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba, with support from the Abia State Government.
The Principal Secretary to the Governor and Chief Strategy Officer to the Government, Mr Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu, Commissioner for Environmental, Hon. Philemon Ogbonna, the DG/CEO, Public Private Partnership and Investment Promotion Office, Mr. Chinedum Chijioke, Chief Economic Adviser, Dr Friday Kanu Ohuche, Special Adviser on Monitoring and Evaluation, Mazi Ugochukwu Okoroagor, among other senior Government appointees were present during the visit.
Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
March 4th, 2026.
