THE INTENTIONALITY OF GOV. OTTI: ABIA BECOMING GLOBALLY VISIBLE THROUGH DIGITAL INNOVATION. – By Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA, Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
Right from inception, Governor Alex Otti-led administration in Abia State, has remained very passionate about investment in Digital Technology and Innovation.
The administration has made deliberate efforts not only to conscientize Abia youths on the vast opportunities in the sector, but also made it easily accessible.
A number of trainings and workshops have been organised for youths with apt in digital technology and innovation.
The benefits of these efforts are beginning to manifest as evidenced by the inclusion of four Abians among the participants in an International All – Expense – Paid Seminar on Cloud Data Center Planning and Construction, scheduled for Hubei, Jiangsu, and Henan Provinces, People’s Republic of China, from today, July 17th to August 6th, 2025.
This is a testimonial of the global appreciation and reciprocity of the Governor’s efforts to make Abia a major digital hub in Africa.
The seminar, organized and sponsored by the Wuhan Research Institute of Posts and Telecommunications (FiberHome Technology Group), through the Office of the Consul General, will cover critical topics including: Cloud Data Center Design and Security,
Application of AI, and 5G in Data Networks, Smart City Infrastructure, and International Exchange on Digital Transformation Practices.
Gov. Otti has so far demonstrated firm commitment to promoting global exposure and technical excellence among public and civil servants in line with his administration’s core vision.
Under his focused and transformational leadership, Abia State is being repositioned as a beacon of innovation, transparency, and infrastructure-driven prosperity.
The up-coming international engagement in China and its likes which had in the past, eluded the State, have now become frequent since Otti came on board.
This seminar represents yet another milestone in the ongoing effort by the Otti-led administration to align Abia’s human capital with the demands of a competitive global digital economy.
The Abia contingent, is among other things, expected to engage fully with the programme, prepare a brief national presentation on Nigeria’s and Abia’s data infrastructure efforts, as well as contribute to post-engagement reporting and knowledge sharing.
Upon their return to the State, the participants including three civil servants, are expected to contribute to Abia’s digital transformation agenda.
Just recently, Governor Otti granted automatic employment to 19 best-performing graduates of the digital training programme, TechRise, organized by the Abia State Government and the 17 Local Government Mayors in conjunction with LearnFactory Nigeria.
The Governor who announced the automatic employment during the graduation ceremony of the Abia TechRise ICT training programme held at the JAAC Building Secretariat in Umuahia, said that the gesture was aimed at promoting digital technology in the State.
He had also directed that another set of 850 trainees, representing 50 persons from each LGA be taken for the second batch of the TechRise ICT training, with a further instructed that the graduands be given laptop computers for the training to enable them, upon graduation, start business with the knowledge they have acquired.
Governor Otti has never hidden his administration’s commitment to empowering people with 21st-century, viable skills especially ICT where the world is now drifting towards.
This aligns with his philosophy that rather than giving someone a fish, it’s better to teach our people how to fish.
The Abia TechRise, a transformative initiative by Governor Otti has become a vehicle for the empowerment of Abia youths with practical digital skills within three months and issuing them global passports to become global citizens.
As aptly captured by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sir Uzor Nwachukwu, “Abia TechRise is not just a training programmes, it is a movement, and a platform for unlocking the latent potentials of Abia youths and positioning them for relevance in the 21st century digital economy.”
Gov. Otti’s intention is to make Abia the leading exporter of digital and ICT experts across the globe in the years ahead.
The onus is now on Abia youths to take advantage of this golden opportunity and acquire digital skills for global relevance.
