Abia State Government has launched the first phase of the NKATA Technology Enabling Business Grant, a N306 million initiative designed to support businesses through digital tools, automation and artificial intelligence-driven solutions across the state.
The programme, approved by Governor Alex Otti, commenced with seven pilot local government areas including Aba North, Aba South, Bende, Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Ohafia and Arochukwu.
The NKATA initiative, an Abia State technology and AI-enabling business grant programme, seeks to connect businesses with technology service providers and mentors in a bid to accelerate digital transformation across all 17 local government areas of the state.
The goal of the program is to help Abia businesses move from survival to growth, improve productivity, create jobs and build a new generation of technology-enabled businesses.
Speaking during the launch on Monday at a special enlarged Anniversary Executive Council meeting held as part of activities marking his administration’s third anniversary, Governor Otti commended the ATSAC team for developing the initiative.
The Governor said the state government had carefully assessed the programme and its long-term impact before approving it, adding that he was convinced the initiative would serve as an important platform for supporting individuals and businesses with innovative ideas and services to deliver.
He stressed that investing in productive ventures offered greater long-term value than direct consumption spending.
“The easiest way to spend this money is to give it to people who would consume it.
“That is still the same money when it is invested, and then the investment will yield returns. This is our own way of intervening”, Governor Otti said.
The Governor noted that the NKATA initiative aligns with other programmes of his administration such as the TechRise programme and the Fashion Future initiative, which he said were designed to strengthen entrepreneurship and skills development.
He described the NKATA initiative as a vehicle for scaling businesses across sectors and expressed confidence that the programme would produce measurable economic impact.
“On that note, I want to, on behalf of everyone, deliver this cheque; Technology Enabling Grant of 306 million Naira.
“I want to hear in a few months that this has yielded the required returns, not just in monetary terms, but in the jobs that it would have created, in the poverty level that would have been reduced significantly, and in the area of empowerment of all our people”, the governor said.
He assured that all local government areas in the state would benefit from the programme as implementation expands beyond the pilot phase.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Abia State Technological Skills Acquisition Centre (ATSAC), Mr Peter Ukonu, described the programme as a strategic intervention aimed at helping businesses move from survival to sustainable growth.
According to him, unlike conventional grant schemes that disburse funds directly to beneficiaries, NKATA adopts a different structure by deploying support through technology providers.
Ukonu, further explained the programme was deliberately designed to ensure that technology resources are utilised for business expansion and productivity rather than diverted to other personal expenditures.
“But the structure of the programme, unlike many other grant programmes, is we’re not giving cash out to businesses directly. We’re actually doing so through technology service providers”, he added.
According to the ATSAC DG, the initiative would empower professionals such as tailors, carpenters and mechanics to adopt digital solutions, improve their services and create opportunities to grow and market their businesses online.
“Think about a tailor who would like to go online, but doesn’t have the funds to be able to do so. What you are doing with the Nkata programme is to fund them to be able to grow online and sell their products online”, he explained.
Ukonu, disclosed that while the total grant pool stands at N306 million for all 17 local governments, implementation would begin with seven pilot councils in the first phase.
He clarified that eligibility for the scheme extends beyond indigenes of Abia State, stressing that any individual or business operating within the state, employing residents and contributing through tax payments would be recognised as an Abia business and qualify to benefit from the programme.
The ATSAC DG explained that the programme rests on three major pillars including businesses, technology service providers and mentors.
He disclosed that technology companies, software firms, hardware suppliers and internet providers would participate as service providers, while mentors, including those in the diaspora, would guide businesses in developing viable proposals and matching technological needs with solutions.
The event featured the presentation of the cheque of 306 million naira to the ATSAC DG for the commencement of the pilot phase of the programme.
The enlarged Executive Council meeting, held as part of activities marking the governor’s third anniversary in office, provided a platform for various government ministries and agencies to review their performance and highlight key milestones achieved since the inception of the present administration.
During the session, Ministries, Departments and Agencies took turns to present reports detailing programmes, projects and policy interventions implemented across different sectors of the state economy.
Key ministries, including Health, Education, Works, Power and public utilities as well as other strategic government institutions, provided updates on their activities, outlining progress made in service delivery, infrastructural development and reforms aimed at improving the welfare of residents.
The meeting also served as an avenue for assessing the performance of government institutions and reviewing the impact of policies initiated by the present administration.
