By Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom
Umuomaiukwu (Abia), July 22,2026
Gov. Alex Otti of Abia says his administration is expanding the frontlines of quality education through the construction of smart schools across the state to equip children with skills for the future.
Otti said this on Wednesday while inaugurating the Umuomaiukwu Smart School, in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area (LGA), one of the 20 smart schools being built across the 17 LGAs of the state.
He said that education remained the bedrock of sustainable development and that the government was investing in modern learning facilities to nurture innovation, critical thinking and excellence among young people.
According to him, the smart school initiative was designed to provide pupils with rich experiential learning in an environment equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and highly trained teachers.
“The remainder of the year will be quite busy as we open the new schools to expand the front lines of learning for about 6,000 pupils residing in different urban and rural communities across the state,” he said.
The governor said that the project reflected his administration’s long-term vision of preparing children for a knowledge-driven economy.
“The Abia Smart Schools idea is unique for a number of reasons. First, it is structured to drive the transition from rote learning to experiential learning for the pupils.
“Second, the entire ecosystem, from the classrooms to the general environment, quality of teachers and facilities, is set up to inspire the pupils to dream and aspire to do great things over the course of their lives,” he said.
Otti said that prosperity in the modern era depended more on the capacity of the human mind to create value than on natural resources.
He said that the government had continued to invest heavily in roads, schools, healthcare, electricity and transport infrastructure to create opportunities for the people.
“Projects are conceived to meet practical social and economic needs and ultimately become the springboard of enduring prosperity,” he said.
Addressing the pupils, Otti urged them to take advantage of the free education and world-class facilities provided by the government to excel academically.
“Study harder than anyone else. Ask questions. Open your minds to learning and let nothing hold you back.
“You do not have to worry about fees or levies because everything has been provided by the government free of charge.
“You will therefore learn at no direct cost to you or your parents,” he said.
He assured the pupils that exceptional academic performance would attract scholarships and other incentives from the government.
The governor also warned against vandalism of public school facilities, saying the government had installed modern security systems, including round-the-clock internet connectivity and CCTV surveillance, to safeguard the infrastructure.
“Whoever attempts to steal or vandalise anything within the premises shall not only be caught, they will be treated as dangerous saboteurs and dealt with according to the full dictates of our laws,” he warned.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to education, Otti described the sector as the state’s foremost industry because of its role in unlocking human potential and driving development.
“Education remains the number one industry in this state because it holds the key to unleashing the unique environmental and cultural advantages that we hold as a people.
“The future of Abia is bright because we are building a solid foundation of knowledge, curiosity and innovation,” he said.
In his address, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Goodluck Ubochi, expressed the commitment of the government to reshaping the state’s education sector through sustained investments in smart schools and technology-driven learning.
Ubochi said that the initiative reflected the government’s resolve to provide quality education for every child.
He said that the inauguration demonstrated that the transformation of education in the state was a deliberate and continuous process rather than a one-off achievement.
Ubochi described the school as another milestone in expanding access to quality technology-driven education across the state, adding that more communities would benefit from the initiative.
Also speaking, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr Caleb Ajagba, said that the smart school reflected the present administration’s commitment to delivering tangible development across the state.
Ajagba said that Abia Government had continued to implement critical infrastructure projects, including roads and the Abia Airport project, while expanding access to quality education.
He expressed confidence that similar smart schools would be replicated in communities across the state, urging residents to continue supporting the government’s development programmes.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Mrs Lydia Onuoha, said that the smart school initiative was designed to prepare Abia children to become globally competitive through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics based education.
Onuoha said that the smart school aligned with the state’s Strategic Plan for Education and the Abia First School Reform Initiative Agenda.
Onuoha said the smart school model represented a paradigm shift in education by combining advanced technology with innovative teaching methods to create a future-ready learning environment.
According to her, the initiative integrates artificial intelligence, virtual reality, adaptive learning technologies and renewable energy to improve teaching and learning.
The Managing Director of Blue Giraffe Development Limited, Mrs Orieji Okwara-Emele, described the school as a gateway to opportunities that would equip Abia children with digital knowledge and skills to compete globally.
Okwara-Emele thanked the Abia Government and other stakeholders for their commitment towards making the project a reality.
In his remarks, the lawmaker representing Isiala Ngwa North State Constituency, Mr Collins Iheonunekwu, commended the governor for fulfilling his campaign promises through the project.
Iheonunekwu urged members of the host community to protect the facility against vandalism, describing it as the first of its kind in the area.
In his remark, the Special Guest of Honour at the inauguration, Prof. Okey Ndibe, commended Otti’s leadership style, describing him as a leader committed to service, collaboration and transformative governance.
“Wherever I’ve been, I encounter Nigerians from different parts of the country who speak glowingly about the pace-setting governorship that Governor Otti has introduced in this state,” Ndibe said.
He also lauded the administration’s investment in education, especially the building of smart schools, describing it as the foundation of sustainable development in a knowledge-driven economy.
Ndibe urged Abia residents to sustain the ongoing reforms and ensure that the gains of the current administration were preserved beyond Otti’s tenure.
