By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has said his administration is deliberately planning for the future by creating an enabling environment capable of attracting investments, encouraging Abians in the diaspora to return home and providing better opportunities for the younger generation.
Otti stated this on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, while receiving members of Umu-Aba Connect, who paid him a courtesy visit to appreciate his administration’s achievements and invite him to the association’s forthcoming 10th Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled to hold in Aba.
The Governor congratulated members of the association for sustaining its vision and remaining united despite the challenges it had encountered over the years.
“First of all, let me congratulate you for holding forth and refusing to be discouraged or disintegrated. If you had not held forth, like Abia people, who I am always very proud of because of their resilience, we probably would not be here today,” Otti said.
He commended the association for choosing Aba as the venue for its AGM, noting that its members could have opted for another location.
Otti challenged the members to remain committed to their dreams and assured them that Abia was increasingly becoming attractive to investors and businesses.
“I can assure you, we can never go back. We have left Egypt and we can’t go back,” the governor declared, adding that his administration had “practically recovered Aba.”
According to him, the improved business environment is already attracting private investments, particularly in the hospitality sector.
Otti disclosed that Hilton was coming to Abia, while Radisson Blu had established a presence in Aba through the ongoing redevelopment of Enyimba Hotel, describing the development as one capable of generating wider economic benefits for the state.
“The whole idea is just to do our own things at our own small level to attract our people. I see a lot of you relocating back anytime soon. But, it has to be an economic decision. We don’t force people; we create the enabling environment,” he said.
The governor also disclosed that he had met with the Ambassador of Italy and his team over the possibility of establishing a partnership with shoemakers in Aba.
“Once the enabling environment has been created, businessmen and businesses are rational,” Otti stated.
On infrastructure, the governor announced plans to flag off the reconstruction of Uratta and Old Express Roads in October, saying the projects would help decongest the area.
He also disclosed plans for further development at Ifeobara, including the construction of a lake and luxury residential estates targeted at highly successful professionals and investors.
“It may be the next place you want to live in. Because we are building a lake there and then putting high-ground residences,” he said.
Otti said the various projects were part of his administration’s broader strategy of preparing Abia for the future.
“We are saying that we are planning for the future. We have the future in mind. We want our children not to experience the difficulties,” he added.
The governor further said his administration was committed to improving educational infrastructure across the state, including the construction of Smart Schools.
He invited members of Umu-Aba Connect to visit public schools reconstructed by his administration, saying the quality of the facilities would encourage parents to consider sending their children to public schools.
“We want to provide an environment where they can go to school. Good schools, like the Smart Schools. I would invite you to visit any of the Smart Schools, whether commissioned or not. If you go to those places, you may want to relocate your child,” Otti said.
Earlier, the President General of Umu-Aba Connect Association, Dr. Chima Anyaso, said the association was formed by young, successful and progressive individuals born and raised in Aba, with the objective of giving back to the society that shaped them.
Anyaso said the decision to return to Aba for the association’s AGM was significant, noting that some members who had previously relocated because of deteriorating conditions could now proudly return to their roots.
He commended Otti for his achievements and efforts at creating an enabling environment in the state, while assuring him of the association’s support for his re-election.
Also speaking, the Vice President of the association, Mr. Ugochukwu Duru, commended the governor for the transformation taking place across the state, particularly in infrastructure and security.
Duru said the improved security and infrastructure had restored confidence among members of the diaspora to return to Abia, describing the administration as proof that meaningful development and effective governance were possible in Nigeria.
The Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sir Nwaobilor Ananaba; Special Adviser on Policy and Intervention, Rev. Father Christian Anokwuru, Ph.D.; Aba-born banker, Mr. Alex Alozie; and other top government officials attended the meeting.
