President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to visit Abia State before May 29 to commission the newly reconstructed 6.5-kilometre Port Harcourt Road in Aba, as well as flag off the proposed $1.3 billion Abia Medical City.
Governor Alex Otti made this known during a recent media session held in Umuahia. He noted that the road, built by top construction company Julius Berger, is now complete and will be handed over to the state Ministry of Works within the week.
Governor Otti awarded the reconstruction project shortly after taking office in 2023, and although it was originally set for a two-year timeline, the project has now been completed ahead of schedule.
In addition to the road commissioning, President Tinubu will also launch the much-anticipated Abia Medical City. This ambitious healthcare project is expected to cost $1.3 billion and is a major part of Governor Otti’s long-term plan to modernize healthcare in the state.
According to the governor, once completed, the medical city will not only reduce the need for foreign medical trips but will also serve as a major referral centre for West Africa. He notes that the facility could bring in up to $200 million annually for the state.
Otti further explained that his administration had made solid progress in health infrastructure. Out of 200 ongoing Primary Health Centre (PHC) projects, 103 have already reached 70 percent completion.
He assured that all 900 PHCs across the state will benefit from the improvements, with additional help coming from the World Bank, which is renovating another 68 PHCs.
The governor said the state has already approved hiring more health workers and made budgetary provisions for their salaries to ensure improved service delivery.
On the education front, Otti shared that free and compulsory education from primary to junior secondary level has pushed school enrollment to 700,000. To meet the rising demand, he has ordered the hiring of an extra 4,000 teachers in addition to the 5,000 already being recruited.
“Beyond recruiting new teachers, we are also ensuring that our teachers receive the necessary training to be able to provide the needed quality education that can make our products globally competitive,” he said.
He also noted that special focus is being given to subjects like mathematics, science, and technology to prepare Abia’s youth for careers in advanced tech fields like robotics.
On tertiary education, the governor addressed concerns about pension arrears at Abia State University (ABSU), saying he was unaware of the issue and had asked the Commissioner for Tertiary Education to investigate. He also revealed that a 5,000-bed hostel at ABSU would be completed within three months and that older hostels were being renovated.
Governor Otti thanked the people of Abia for their support and assured that the pace of development would continue in the months ahead.
