The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has commended Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, for notable economic achievements under his administration, including a reported 10 per cent growth in Gross Domestic Product, an eight per cent reduction in poverty, the creation of over 10,000 jobs, and the attraction of investments.
The commendation came on Thursday during a courtesy visit to Government House, Umuahia, led by Prof. Pius Olarenwaju, President and Chairman of Council of the CIBN. He praised Otti’s administration for improvements in healthcare delivery, free education policies, enhanced road infrastructure, and security through the Operation Crush initiative.
“You have achieved, within this short time, notable economic progress, including GDP growth, poverty reduction, job creation, and investments. We have seen it firsthand, and we are grateful,” Olarenwaju said. He described Otti as a goodwill ambassador for the banking profession and called for stronger collaboration between CIBN and the state in areas such as financial literacy, inclusion, and infrastructural development.
Olarenwaju revealed that the institute is implementing a national programme to train 10 million women and youths on financial literacy and encouraged the state’s participation.
Responding, Otti reaffirmed his commitment to sustainable development and welcomed deeper collaboration with the institute. Highlighting his administration’s achievements, he noted that free education policies had increased school enrolment by over 100 per cent and that more than 5,000 teachers had been recruited, with another 4,000 in the pipeline.
“The CIBN’s work on financial literacy is critical. Even those of us with some knowledge make mistakes in investment because we lack full understanding. We welcome these initiatives,” the governor said.
Meanwhile, Otti pledged Abia State’s support for the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) 2.0, describing it as aligned with the state’s youth development and empowerment agenda.
The governor made the assurance when he received a delegation led by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Delivery and Coordination, Office of the Vice President, Mr Akubo Adegbe, alongside UNDP representatives. The NJFP 2.0 is a federal youth employment programme funded by the European Union, offering 12-month paid placements across public, private, and civil society sectors.
Otti identified the digital economy, creative economy, energy, and leadership as priority areas for collaboration, noting that his administration had already empowered thousands of youths through initiatives such as the TechRise programme and the Abia Leadership Academy.
“If you ask me the preferred areas, I would say digital economy first, followed by creative economy, energy, and other sectors of interest to our youths,” he said, directing his Principal Secretary, Mr Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu, to liaise with the delegation to ensure smooth implementation.
UNDP Team Lead, Mr Innocent Ejolu, said the programme aims to deploy 20,000 fellows annually nationwide with enhanced skills development and job matching. “With Abia’s co-investment, we can scale from hundreds to thousands of fellows, build a pipeline of future civil servants and entrepreneurs, and unlock private capital for human development,” he said.
Adegbe emphasised the need for state ownership of the programme to ensure sustainability and outlined three key requests: political support, contribution to the basket fund, and identification of sectors best suited for Abia youths.
The governor was joined by commissioners for Trade and Commerce, Sports and Youth Development, Finance, Agriculture, and other senior government officials.
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