The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has disclosed that it has trained over 1,000 teachers on health and education, engaged more than 700 community and religious leaders on health, education and HIV awareness, and worked with over 300 schools in Abia State since the launch of the Abia First Education Initiative.
The revelation was made when the Head of Office and Country Representative of UNESCO to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Jean-Paul Ngome-Abiaga, led a delegation to the office of the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, where he also commended the Governor for his administration’s strong commitment to education reforms.
Dr. Ngome-Abiaga praised the Governor’s leadership since assuming office in 2023, noting that the results of his policies are already visible, particularly in the education sector.
“Your Excellency, let me first commend you for the work you have started since 2023. We have seen the results,” he said.
He acknowledged that although UNESCO’s mandate covers education, science, culture, communication and information, the organisation was particularly impressed by the priority given to education by the Abia State Government.
According to him, the decision of the Governor to allocate 20 percent of the state budget to education demonstrates a strong commitment to human capital development.
“We know the importance and place of education in your agenda. We know that you have dedicated 20 percent of the budget of the State to education and we would like to really congratulate you for that,” he added.
Dr. Ngome-Abiaga further expressed UNESCO’s willingness to deepen partnership with the Abia State Government in key sectors including education and health, assuring that the organisation would continue to provide technical expertise to support the Governor’s development agenda.
Also speaking during the visit, the Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, Olapeju Ibekwe, introduced the Africa Social Impact Summit to the Governor and invited him to attend the upcoming conference scheduled for July as a guest of honour.
She explained that the summit, which partners with the United Nations, was established after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022 to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through partnerships, impact investment and policy advocacy.
According to her, the platform has already unlocked over 100 million dollars in development investments by fostering collaboration across the public sector, private sector and development organisations.
Responding, Governor Alex Otti appreciated the delegation for the visit and described UNESCO and its partners as valuable collaborators in the state’s development efforts.
He noted that their request for deeper collaboration in education, health funding and the reduction of out-of-school children aligns with the priorities of his administration.
“What you came with is a request that no one can say no to — partnership, support to reduce the number of out-of-school children, asking that more money be allocated to health and education. Those are good and they are imperative for a government that is serious,” the Governor said.
Governor Otti also announced that the Computer Based Test (CBT) for the second batch of teachers’ recruitment would be conducted next week for about 24,000 successful applicants shortlisted for the examination.
He highlighted key achievements of his administration in the education sector, including the implementation of free and compulsory education, massive renovation of schools, recruitment of 5,394 teachers, training of educators and improved remuneration for teachers.
The Governor further disclosed that his administration has consistently allocated 20 percent of the state budget to education and 15 percent to health, amounting to a combined 35 percent investment in critical human development sectors.
Present during the visit were the Commissioner for Basic Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi; Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Mr. Mathew Ekwuruibe; Commissioner for Sports, Sir Nwaobilor Ananaba; Commissioner for Science and Technology, Engr. David Kalu; Special Adviser to the Governor on Basic and Secondary Education, Sir Kenechukwu Nwosu; and the Chairman of the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board, Lady Lydia Onuoha, among other senior government officials.
