President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to visit Abia State before May 29 to commission the newly reconstructed Port Harcourt Road in Aba and officially flag off the ambitious $1.3 billion Abia Medical City project.
Governor Alex Otti revealed this during a media interaction in Umuahia on Wednesday night, noting that the 6.5-kilometre road—rebuilt by Julius Berger—has been completed and will soon be handed over to the State Ministry of Works.
The reconstruction of the vital infrastructure began shortly after Otti assumed office in 2023, with the contract initially slated for completion in two years.
During the parley, the Governor also stated that President Tinubu would perform the ground-breaking ceremony for the Abia Medical City, which he described as a cornerstone project of his administration.
Designed to curb the trend of medical tourism abroad, the facility is poised to become a key referral centre across West Africa and is projected to generate an estimated $200 million in annual revenue for the state.
Providing updates on healthcare reforms, Otti announced that 103 out of 200 ongoing renovations of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the state have reached 70% completion.
He affirmed that all 900 PHCs across the state will be revitalised, with support from the World Bank for an additional 68 facilities. He also mentioned ongoing upgrades in several general hospitals.
To strengthen the healthcare system, the government has approved the recruitment of new health workers, with salary provisions already made to bridge staffing shortages.
On the education front, Governor Otti highlighted the success of his administration’s free and compulsory basic education policy, which has seen enrolment figures rise to 700,000.
To meet the growing demand, the state has initiated the hiring of 4,000 additional teachers, supplementing the 5,000 already in the recruitment process. Special emphasis is being placed on science, mathematics, and technology education.
Regarding complaints over unpaid pensions to retired staff of Abia State University (ABSU), the Governor said he was unaware of such issues and has directed the Commissioner for Tertiary Education to investigate and provide an update.
He also assured that the newly approved 5,000-bed hostel project for ABSU would be delivered within three months, while existing hostels are being renovated to improve student welfare.
Governor Otti ended by expressing gratitude to Abians for their support and reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to deliver more developmental milestones in the near future.
