The Abia State Government has introduced an Accelerated Basic Education Programme aimed at expanding access to learning for adults and out-of-school residents by compressing six years of primary education into three years.
The initiative, implemented through the State Agency for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, is targeted at individuals who were unable to complete their basic education.
The State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Government House in Umuahia following the weekly State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
Kanu explained that the programme provides an opportunity for residents to complete their primary education and obtain their first school-leaving certificate within a shorter period.
He urged eligible residents to take advantage of the initiative, noting that it is specifically designed for those who missed out on basic education earlier in life.
According to him, Abia is among the states implementing such a programme to bridge the education gap and improve literacy levels among its population.
The Commissioner also announced that the state has been selected as a beneficiary of a $250 million World Bank Health Security Grant, attributing the development to ongoing reforms in the health sector.
He noted that the state recorded no major outbreaks of public health diseases such as Lassa fever, Mpox, diphtheria, yellow fever, cholera, and rabies during the review period.
On education, Kanu further provided updates on the recruitment of 4,000 teachers, stating that results from oral interviews for Batch Two candidates are currently being compiled.
He revealed that over 7,280 candidates scored above 40 per cent in the Computer-Based Test and assured that the recruitment process would remain transparent and merit-based, with successful applicants to be notified in due course.
In addition, Kanu announced that the 2026 Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) Medical Mission to Abia State will commence on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, with an opening ceremony at the Michael Okpara Auditorium in Umuahia.
He stated that the medical outreach will include at least 1,500 consultations and 100 specialized surgeries for residents across the state.
According to him, general consultations and surgeries will be conducted at Aba General Hospital, eye care services at the Abia Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre in Umuahia, while sexuality and reproductive health services will be provided at Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic in Aba.
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Uche, described the initiative as a rare opportunity for residents to access world-class medical services locally without the need to travel abroad.
He attributed the return of the ANPA mission to the state’s commitment to healthcare reforms and added that the programme will also focus on training and capacity building for local health professionals.
Furthermore, the government disclosed that it has domesticated the Rural Emergency Services and Maternal Transport Programme under the Maternal Mortality Initiative in Bende, Obingwa, and Ukwa East local government areas.
The programme aims to improve access to emergency healthcare services and reduce maternal, child, and neonatal mortality in the identified high-risk areas.
