Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has pledged that his administration would leave no stone unturned in preparing Abia’s youth for the future, to ensure they compete favorably in the global knowledge economy.
Governor Otti stated this, on Wednesday, at the International Conference Center Umuahia, during the Official Launch of the AbiaFIRST Education Transformation Programme with the Theme; “Reimagining Education in Abia”.
The Governor who titled his speech, “Weaponizing Our Children The Education Way”, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to prioritizing education as the foundation for the State’s rapid socioeconomic transformation saying that never again would the State play second fiddle with the Education sector.
He lamented that the decline in Educational Standards stemmed from the failure of previous Governments in the State to sustain visionary policies.
“The gaps that developed in our Education system stemmed for the failure of past administrations to give priority attention to the sector.
“If they had continued on the same trajectory that our pathfinding leaders, Sir Micheal Okpara and De Sam Mbakwe started, the culture of sub-standard education would have been impossible in this clime”, Governor Otti stated.
The Governor however assured that under his watch, Abia State would regain her reputation as a center of excellence in Education pointing out that his administration is taking the lead through strategic interventions.
“Never again will the Government play second fiddle with the Education sector as we shall lead from the front in terms of investments in infrastructure, recruitment of the best to teach and Educate our children and personnel renumeration.
“Abia State Government has re-taken the initiative to lead the charge in qualitative education of our young people through our multi-level learning institutions.
“Abia Government shall spare nothing to prepare the Abia child for the emerging new age”, the Governor declared.
He revealed that the AbiaFIRST Education Transformation Programme is designed to overhaul the Sector through sustained investments in School Infrastructure, recruitment of quality teachers, curriculum upgrades, and enhanced security measures in learning institutions.
“AbiaFIRST is a central plan for our transformational governance initiative for the rapid socioeconomic development of the state
“This is in line with our campaign promise because AbiaFIRST was a our campaign slogan and encapsulates all that our administration stands for.
“Education is at the center of our development agenda“, he said.
Governor Otti who underscored the importance of Education, said his Government introduced a free and compulsory Basic Education Policy, which has led to increased enrollment figures among other ventures that have been carefully developed to make the Education System in the State a model of Excellence.
In his address, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education Elder Goodluck Ubochi described the AbiaFIRST Education Programme as a complete institutional reform that would transform Education in Abia State .
He commended the Governor for introducing transformative initiatives in the Education sector in education which include digital learning platforms, wholesome curriculum framework , teacher professional development, technical and vocational education among others and called on all stakeholders to cooperate with the government in that regard.
In her remarks, the Team Lead of the Education Reform and Innovation Team (ERIT), Mrs. Abolaji Osimen, noted that the ERIT team , which consists of 180 professionals specializing in areas such as Educational Technology and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has been engaging with the present administration since 2023.
She said that their goal is to foster digital proficiency among young learners and to collaboratively address the challenges facing Nigeria’s education sector and appreciated Governor Otti for his commitment in educational development.
In their goodwill messages, development partners, including UNESCO representative Mr. Adeyemi Oladeji, World Bank Senior Education Specialist Dr. Tunde Adekola, and a representative of the British Council Office in Abuja, Mr. Daniel Fwanshishak, congratulated the Governor on his efforts to revitalize the Education Sector.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to supporting and partnering with the state government through capacity-building initiatives to enhance educational development. They commended Governor Alex Otti’s educational initiatives.
