The Abia State Government has said ongoing reforms across key sectors under Governor Alex Otti are drawing increased attention and support from international development partners.
Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, disclosed this at the Government House in Umuahia while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting.
He said Abia was recently selected as one of six states to benefit from the $700 million Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme funded by the World Bank. He also announced the revival of the Small Town WASH project, previously supported by USAID, now being implemented under a new funder, Mercy Corps.
According to Kanu, the WASH initiative will include the rehabilitation of the Ubakala and Ariaria water schemes, aimed at improving access to potable water in the state.
“Abia is receiving these recognitions and partnerships because of the scale of transformation taking place across sectors,” he said.
On power, the commissioner revealed that the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority has issued interim licences to three operators—New Era, Aba Power and Geometric Power—as part of efforts to deepen the state’s electricity market.
He added that the Ohafia Power Restoration Project has reached about 85 per cent completion and is expected to be delivered before the end of the second quarter of the year.
Kanu also said the state has commenced operation of a 1.8-megawatt solar-powered microgrid designed to serve the Central Bus Terminals in Umuahia and Aba. He noted that the project aligns with the government’s energy transition strategy, which includes the rollout of electric buses under the Abia Green Shuttle scheme.
Looking ahead, the commissioner said the Otti administration will mark its third anniversary in office this May with the commissioning of completed projects and the flag-off of new ones across the state, rather than elaborate celebrations.
The Abia State Government has said ongoing reforms across key sectors under Governor Alex Otti are drawing increased attention and support from international development partners.
Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, disclosed this at the Government House in Umuahia while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting.
He said Abia was recently selected as one of six states to benefit from the $700 million Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme funded by the World Bank. He also announced the revival of the Small Town WASH project, previously supported by USAID, now being implemented under a new funder, Mercy Corps.
According to Kanu, the WASH initiative will include the rehabilitation of the Ubakala and Ariaria water schemes, aimed at improving access to potable water in the state.
“Abia is receiving these recognitions and partnerships because of the scale of transformation taking place across sectors,” he said.
On power, the commissioner revealed that the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority has issued interim licences to three operators—New Era, Aba Power and Geometric Power—as part of efforts to deepen the state’s electricity market.
He added that the Ohafia Power Restoration Project has reached about 85 per cent completion and is expected to be delivered before the end of the second quarter of the year.
Kanu also said the state has commenced operation of a 1.8-megawatt solar-powered microgrid designed to serve the Central Bus Terminals in Umuahia and Aba. He noted that the project aligns with the government’s energy transition strategy, which includes the rollout of electric buses under the Abia Green Shuttle scheme.
Looking ahead, the commissioner said the Otti administration will mark its third anniversary in office this May with the commissioning of completed projects and the flag-off of new ones across the state, rather than elaborate celebrations.
“The anniversary will focus on tangible milestones, with projects to be commissioned or inaugurated across the three senatorial zones,” he said.
Also speaking, Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, explained that the SURWASH programme will prioritise the rehabilitation and interconnection of water infrastructure to ensure sustainable supply.
He said work is already underway at the Ubakala scheme, while plans are in place to link the Ariaria system to storage facilities in Aba to improve distribution.
“This is a major step towards restoring pipe-borne water to households across Abia,” he said, commending the governor’s commitment to delivering on campaign promises, particularly in water and energy.
Monday added that the state’s electricity market has now fully taken off, with two distribution licences and one generation licence issued to key operators to drive improved power supply.
