Abia State Government has been cleared by the World Bank to benefit from a 250 million Dollars grant on health security in Nigeria.
Briefing Newsmen on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Kanu, attributed the development to the ongoing reforms of Governor Alex Otti in the health sector of the state.
He also announced the domestication of the Rural Emergency Services and Maternal Transport Programme of the federal government in the state, revealing that it commenced in Bende, Obingwa and Ukwa East LGAs known to have the highest maternal mortality rates in the state.
“The major objective of the programme is to provide access to emergency care in order to reduce maternal, child and neonatal mortality,” Prince Kanu pointed out.
The Commissioner informed that the 2026 version of the Abia ANPA Medical Mission will officially take off on, Tuesday, April 14th 2026.
“The opening ceremony is scheduled to hold at the Michael Okpara Auditorium by 10 am, and the target for this year’s mission is 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,” the Commissioner announced.
Prince Kanu further made public that the result of the oral interview for the batch two of the candidates for teachers recruitment exercise, who were shortlisted after the CBT that held recently is being compiled, and all the successful candidates will be communicated in due course.
“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 revealed.
While stating that the Abia State Accelerated Basic Education Programme, aimed at running the six-year primary school curriculum in three years, has commenced, he noted that the Agency for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education is responsible for the programme and called on all Abia residents, who could not conclude their basic education should take advantage of the opportunity to sit and obtain their first school living certificate in the state.
“Abia State happens to be one of the states that is running this programme for those who missed out in their early years and did not have the opportunity to obtain their first school living certificate. So this programme makes it possible for all such people to take advantage of this programme,” he proudly affirmed.
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.
Prof. Uche thanked Governor Alex Otti for attracting ANPA to Abia for the second time in two years, noting that such a feat is a testament to the Governor’s visionary leadership.
He enjoined Abians to leverage the opportunity by turning out in large numbers to access the free, high-quality medical services being offered.
“We want to enjoin Ndi Abia
to avail themselves of this rare opportunity to have themselves treated.
“Because what we have done is to bring scarce medical skills from the United States into Abia,” Prof. Uche concluded.
