The Abia State Government has been cleared by the World Bank to benefit from a $250 million grant for health security in Nigeria.
The State Commissioner for Information, Prince Kanu, disclosed this to journalists as among the outcomes of the State Executive Council meeting, saying the development is in recognition of the ongoing reforms of Governor Alex Otti in the health sector.
He said, “Abia state government has been cleared by the World Bank to benefit from a $250 million grant for health security in the country. The ongoing reforms of the government in the health sector helped to qualify Abia state as one of the beneficiary states of the grant.”
Prince Kanu added that the health sector reforms of the Abia State Government recently received a boost when a World Bank team visited the State to review the public finance department system of the State’s health sector.
He added that the team was impressed by Governor Otti’s approach to the health sector reform, noting that since the inception of the administration in 2023, the government has consistently earmarked 15% of its annual budget to the health sector, a development that has not gone unnoticed both within and outside the country.
He also disclosed that the Rural Emergency Services and Maternal Transport Programme of the federal government has been domesticated in the State, adding that it commenced with three LGAs of Bende, Obingwa and Ukwa East, reputed to have the highest maternal mortality rates in the state.
“The major objective of the programme is to provide access to emergency care to reduce maternal, child and neonatal mortality,” Prince Kanu stated
On the annual free medical outreach in conjunction with ANPAs, the Commissioner said the 2026 edition would kick off Tuesday, April 14th 2026, at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, targeting 1,500 consultations and 100 specialised surgeries.
“The consultations and surgeries will be performed at the Aba General Hospital, while the eye care patients will be attended to at Abia Specialist and Diagnostic Centre, here in Umuahia.
And issues of sexuality and reproductive health will be attended to at Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba,” he stated.
He announced that the Sturing the period under review, there were no reports of diseases of public health importance in the state, such as Lassa fever, M-pox, diphtheria, yellow fever, cholera and redness.
The Information boss revealed that the result of the oral interview for batch two of the candidates for the teachers recruitment exercise, who were shortlisted after the CBT that was held recently, is being compiled, assuring that all the successful candidates will be communicated in due course.
According to him, “Over 7,280 candidates scored above 40% in the CBT test. And in line with the standards of the transparent process and fairness of the recruitment process in the state, everybody will be given a fair chance based on their performance.”
Prince Kanu also announced the commencement of the Abia State Accelerated Basic Education Programme, aimed at running the six-year primary school curriculum in three years.
He noted that the Agency for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education is responsible for the programme and enjoined all Abia residents, who could not conclude their basic education to take advantage of the opportunity to sit and obtain their first school-leaving certificate.
Contributing the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, noted that the Abia ANPA Medical Mission would bring rare medical expertise from the United States to Abia, thereby reducing the need for residents to seek treatment abroad and urged residents to leverage the opportunity by turning out in large numbers to access the free, high-quality medical services being offered, which comes with training of medical professionals.
