The Abia State Government has unveiled a week-long programme of activities to mark the event, featuring the commissioning and flag-off of projects to mark the 35th anniversary of the creation of the State.
Briefing Newsmen on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu announced that the anniversary programme would begin on Sunday, August 23, with an interdenominational thanksgiving service at the Trade More Event Centre, within the Nnenna Oti Bus Terminal premises, Umuahia.
According to him, on Tuesday, August 25, the Governor would commission some completed projects and flag off new ones, while Wednesday, August 26, would be dedicated to a Youth Innovation Day, featuring a hackathon and technology exhibition.
Prince Okey Kanu further made public that the events would climax on Thursday, August 27, being the actual day Abia was created. He said the day would start with a state broadcast by the Governor and would be followed later by an anniversary keynote lecture.
“Finally, on Thursday, the 27th of August, the very day the state was created, the Governor will make a state broadcast in the morning. Later that morning, there will be an anniversary keynote lecture”. Prince Kanu stated.
He noted that the lecture would provide an opportunity for the keynote speaker and discussants to examine Abia’s development trajectory from 1991, when the state was created by the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, till date.
The Commissioner also informed that the EXCO joined in marking the 85th birthday of former military administrator, General Badamosi Ibrahim Babangida, who turned 85 on August 17, 2026.
He disclosed that the Governor had directed the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection
to investigate whether other Abians are still stranded in South Africa, with a view to assisting them, just as the government had over the weekend empowered 31 returnees from South Africa.
Prince Kanu recalled that, as a compassionate government, the administration of Governor Alex Otti had, over the weekend, approved 1 million Naira each for 31 verified Abia returnees from South Africa as an interim support measure to assist them in resettling.
He added that the state government was also carrying out a comprehensive profiling exercise to determine the various specific needs of the returnees and develop appropriate programmes for their integration in the state.
