Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, will on February 25 officially flag off the construction of the Enyimba International Hotel Limited, a 250-room five-star facility to be managed by global hospitality brand, Radisson Blu Group.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists at the Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting presided over by the governor.
Kanu said the project aligns with the administration’s industrial transformation agenda, with particular emphasis on strengthening the hospitality sector. He noted that the state government has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Radisson Blu, which will manage the hotel after its renovation and retrofitting.
According to him, the project will begin with 155 rooms in its initial phase and later expand to 250 rooms. When fully operational, the facility is expected to generate about 5,500 direct and indirect jobs.
He added that the hotel would boost the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR), stimulate economic growth and position Abia as a major player in Nigeria’s hospitality industry.
On education, Kanu said the second batch of the teachers’ recruitment exercise is progressing steadily. He revealed that 36,415 applications were received, out of which 24,023 applicants have been shortlisted for the Computer-Based Test (CBT). The date for the examination, he said, would be announced soon.
He recalled that the state government employed 5,494 teachers last year and is targeting the recruitment of 4,000 additional teachers in the ongoing second phase.
The commissioner also announced the deployment of the Education Management and Information System (EMIS), which integrates education data and processes at the basic and secondary school levels into a central database. He explained that the system would enhance efficient school management, data-driven planning and measurable outcomes.
He further disclosed that the mass literacy, adult and non-formal education programmes for the 2025/2026 academic session have resumed across the 17 local government areas of the state. A sensitisation campaign is ongoing to boost enrolment, particularly targeting school dropouts, traders and artisans.
Highlighting achievements in sports, Kanu said Abia emerged as the overall best-performing state at the recently concluded National Basic Education Schools Sports Games. The state contingent clinched eight gold medals in athletics, alongside several other medals in different categories.
He described the feat as a testament to the success of the administration’s youth development initiatives, especially in school sports. Governor Otti, he said, has promised to formally receive and host the team at a later date.
Kanu also noted that Abia has consistently ranked as the best-performing state in the National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations for the past three years, attributing the achievement to ongoing reforms in the education sector.
On infrastructure, he stated that the Ministry of Works is currently executing direct labour projects in 14 locations across the state. Four projects have been completed, while three new ones have been added to the maintenance schedule.
Completed projects include the maintenance of the 14.8-kilometre Alayi-Ugwueke Road in Bende LGA; 1.1 kilometres of Awomukwu-Umosokoro Road in Ikwuano LGA; 900 metres of Umusokoro Road in Ikwuano LGA; and the 9.1-kilometre Umunkpeyi-Umuru-Okokiri Road in Isialangwa South LGA, among others.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, explained that EMIS is designed to capture comprehensive data on pupils in basic education and monitor their academic progress and movement between schools.
He said the system would enable the ministry to track transfers across both private and public schools, ensuring better regulation and planning.
Ubochi reiterated that the date for the CBT for the second batch of teachers’ recruitment has not yet been fixed but assured that the public would be duly informed once a decision is reached.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, was present at the briefing.
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