Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has highlighted the training of more than 2,200 young people through the TechRise programme and the establishment of a N2 billion startup support fund as part of his administration’s digital transformation initiatives.
Otti disclosed this on Thursday while calling for stronger collaboration among government, businesses, development partners and civil society to accelerate digital transformation and translate technological development into jobs, investments and practical solutions.
The governor spoke at the opening of the State-level Policy, Regulatory and Institutional Reforms Enabling Digital Transformation (SPRIRET) stakeholder engagement programme held at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Government House, Umuahia.
He said technology had moved beyond being an optional tool for governance and business, stressing that it had become a major driver of productivity, innovation and economic development.
“Technology is no longer an optional addition to governance or business. It is now a central driver of productivity and development.
“Our immediate challenge is to create policies and institutions that will allow more people and businesses to benefit from digital transformation,” Otti said.
The governor said his administration had placed technology at the centre of its development agenda since assuming office, with initiatives introduced to expand digital access and equip young people with relevant skills.
According to him, more than 2,200 young people had been trained through the TechRise programme, while initiatives including ThriveAbia, Abia Digi Upskill and Girls in ICT had expanded access to digital skills.
He also disclosed that 500 civil servants had been trained under the State Level Inclusive Digital Transformation Programme, supported by the United Kingdom’s Digital Access Programme.
Otti acknowledged the support of the British High Commission and its representatives, including the British Deputy High Commissioner, Jonny Baxter, and former British High Commissioner, Richard Montgomery, towards Abia’s digital development.
He said the SPRIRET programme would further strengthen the state’s efforts to create an enabling environment for digital innovation, entrepreneurship and investment.
SPRIRET, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and implemented by the Initiative for Digital Inclusion, is being implemented in Abia, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu and Niger states.
The programme focuses on policy, regulatory and institutional reforms aimed at strengthening digital ecosystems and attracting investment into the technology sector.
Otti said the initiative would build on policies already introduced by his administration, including the Dig Once policy adopted in 2024 to guide the installation of underground broadband infrastructure and reduce unnecessary excavation and associated costs.
He also highlighted the state’s Startup Law, N2 billion startup support fund, Abia State Technological Skills Acquisition Centre and the N306 million Nkata technology-enabling business grant.
According to the governor, the Nkata grant had supported close to 100 businesses since its launch in May, while the administration’s broader objective was to position Abia as a regional Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hub.
He, however, stressed that the success of the state’s digital transformation agenda should ultimately be measured by its impact on the economy, including new investments attracted, jobs created and the contribution of the technology sector to the state’s economy.
“The ambition is not just to have technology for technology’s sake. We want to see technology solving real problems and creating opportunities for our people.
“We want to see new investors come into the state, more jobs created and the technology sector contributing meaningfully to our economy,” he said.
The governor urged stakeholders to focus on developing technological solutions to some of the state’s pressing challenges, including insecurity, unemployment, post-harvest losses, urban property management and environmental degradation.
“We must move beyond seeing technology as an end in itself. We need to use it to solve the problems that affect our people every day,” Otti stated.
He called for sustained cooperation among government institutions, investors, technology entrepreneurs, communities and development partners to ensure that the state’s digital transformation agenda delivers measurable results.
The SPRIRET engagement is expected to bring stakeholders together to identify policy, regulatory and institutional reforms capable of strengthening Abia’s digital ecosystem, encouraging investment and expanding participation in the digital economy.
The SPRIRET engagement is expected to bring stakeholders together to identify policy, regulatory and institutional reforms capable of strengthening Abia’s digital ecosystem, encouraging investment and expanding participation in the digital economy.
