Alex Otti says his administration has constructed 414 roads covering more than 864 kilometres across Abia State and reduced the state’s debt burden by about 60 per cent within three years in office.
The governor made the disclosure during his monthly media chat, “Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians,” held Friday night in Umuahia, where he outlined what he described as major achievements of his administration since assuming office in May 2023.
According to Otti, many of the road projects executed by the government were fitted with drainage systems and street lights as part of efforts to modernise infrastructure and improve urban mobility across the state.
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“We are consistent in terms of delivering street lights with the roads. And of course drainage,” the governor said.
He disclosed that several completed projects would be commissioned in the coming days, while another 82 roads measuring about 212 kilometres remain under construction at different stages of completion.
The governor also claimed that his administration significantly reduced Abia’s debt profile from about N191 billion in 2023 to less than N50 billion by the end of 2025.
“We have been able to reduce our debt profile significantly by about 60 per cent,” he stated, linking the development to fiscal discipline, transparency and tighter financial controls introduced by his administration.
Otti said the state’s improved financial management had also earned positive independent assessments, noting that the Budget State of States ranking reportedly moved Abia from 17th position in 2023 to fourth place in 2025.
The governor’s comments come at a time when several states across Nigeria continue to battle rising debt obligations, weak internally generated revenue and mounting pressure on infrastructure financing.
Since taking office, Otti has consistently projected infrastructure renewal and prudent financial management as the pillars of his administration, particularly in Umuahia, Aba and surrounding local government areas where major road rehabilitation projects have been ongoing.
Beyond roads and debt reduction, the governor unveiled additional achievements across transportation, healthcare, education and land administration.
He said the state government had expanded its electric transportation initiative and disclosed that another batch of electric buses would arrive in July to strengthen the urban transport system.
According to him, the new bus terminal in Umuahia is scheduled for inauguration later this month, while charging stations are being installed in Umuahia and Aba to support the electric bus programme.
In the health sector, Otti revealed that the government recruited 821 healthcare professionals, with 771 already deployed across hospitals and primary healthcare centres.
He added that more than 93,000 residents had enrolled in the state’s health insurance scheme, while 277 primary healthcare centres had been retrofitted across the state.
“Out of the 277 healthcare centres retrofitted, 200 were handled by the state government while 77 were supported by the World Bank,” he explained.
The governor further stated that reconstruction and upgrade works were ongoing at General Hospitals in Ikwuano, Arochukwu, Okeikpe and Ohafia, alongside renovations at tertiary health institutions including Amachara and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital.
In education, Otti highlighted the construction of smart schools, recruitment of teachers and reforms in tertiary institutions including Abia State University and Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic.
He also disclosed that the state had signed 4,707 Certificates of Occupancy and digitised about four million land documents as part of wider reforms in land administration.
Despite the ambitious claims, independent verification of the exact number of completed roads and the debt reduction figures remains pending, as official validation from the Debt Management Office and other oversight agencies is yet to be fully released.
