Abia Unveils 25-Year Development Plan
The Abia State Government has disclosed plans to launch the ambitious 25-year Greater Aba Master Plan, a comprehensive urban development framework designed to re-engineer Aba, the state’s commercial nerve centre, into a modern and resilient city.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Kanu made this known on Tuesday, during the weekly press briefing after the State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti.
The plan, according to Kanu, was developed in collaboration with UN-Habitat and is underpinned by four key pillars: road infrastructure, economic development, sustainable urban expansion, and flood management.
“The first pillar is road infrastructure—transportation, development, and connectivity within Aba. The second pillar will deal with economic development, industrial zones, upgrades and formalisation of commercial hubs.
The third is sustainable development and planned urban expansion. And the fourth will deal with terrestrial resilience and flood management, which of course has been a perennial problem of that city,” he said.
Alongside the master plan, the state also revealed ongoing strides in healthcare delivery. Three new primary health centres were recently commissioned as part of the 17 facilities planned under the Project Ekwueme Scheme, bringing the total commissioned so far to 200 Primary Health care Centres (PHC’s). According to Kanu, a fourth PHC will be commissioned at Ngu, Bende LGA, on June 20, 2024.
“These health centres are all fully equipped with modern and sophisticated medical equipment, along with qualified personnel. This underscores the vision of His Excellency to provide easy-to-reach and affordable healthcare to all Abians, even in far-flung parts of the state,” Kanu stated.
He however announced that Abia’s Social Health Insurance Scheme has also recorded 91,227 enrollees, with plans to extend the programme to the informal sector.
In a related development, the Commissioner for Power, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday, disclosed that modalities for the rehabilitation of the CKC Water Scheme have been concluded. The water project is set to provide potable water to parts of Aba and its environs, with a 20-kilometre pipeline to be installed during phase two before the end of the year.
On sanitation, he revealed efforts to make the entire state open defecation-free, beginning with the pilot in Isiala Ngwa South, while plans are underway to expand to other LGAs including Ohafia.
The state is also deepening its control over energy regulation, having begun the transfer of electricity oversight from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to the newly created Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority. This transition, expected to take six months, will give the state full regulatory power over distribution, generation, and metering.
Monday also announced progress in electricity restoration and expansion at Abia State University (ABSU), revealing that the first phase is complete while phases two and three are in the works.
“We are working to upgrade the 2.5MVA transformer to 5MVA and talking to two companies for independent power supply to ABSU and surrounding areas,” he noted.
He said major renovation works are ongoing at ABSU hostels and infrastructure with new academic staff recruitment also underway.
Meanwhile, four housing estates—Valley View, Ma’akuma, Mbaisii, and Obehie Housing estate are set for groundbreaking, while work continues on others. Renovation of the Michael Okpara Auditorium and public buildings across the state is also in progress, with the Office of the Secretary to the State Government nearing completion.
Addressing security concerns, the Information Commissioner for information, Prince Kanu confirmed recent breaches in the Umunneochi axis and dismissed reports of an assassination attempt as premature. He stated that while some incidents occurred outside Abia’s jurisdiction, the state is collaborating with neighbouring states to tackle cross-border criminal activities.
“This state will not yield any inch of its territory to criminal elements or deviants who pay very scant regard to human life,” he affirmed.
Abia Unveils 25-Year Development Plan is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
