35th Anniversary: Abia unveils plans, week-long activities

The Abia State Government has officially unveiled a week-long schedule of activities to mark the 35th anniversary of the creation of the state, with Governor Alex Otti billed to commission completed projects and flag off new ones as part of the celebrations.

The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, announced this on Monday at Government House, Umuahia, while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, and the State Director of Information, Lady Chika Orji-Nwoke, were present at the briefing.

According to the commissioner, 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.

He disclosed that 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.

Kanu further announced 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,” 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 Ibrahim Babangida, who turned 85 on August 17, 2026.

He disclosed that Governor Otti had earlier issued a birthday message congratulating the former military administrator on his 85th birthday.

The commissioner announced 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.

The commissioner recalled that, as a compassionate government, the administration of Governor Alex Otti had, over the weekend, approved N1 million 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.