Otti Signs Abia State 25-Year Development Plan Into Law

Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has unveiled and signed into law the Abia State 25-Year Development Plan with assurances of its sustainability over the period of the plan.

Speaking after unveiling the development plan at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia on Tuesday evening, the Governor said that the plan is a holistic development framework upon which the State’s policy direction and resource allocation outlook will be evaluated.

“The 25-Years Abia State Development Plan, which we have signed into law and unveiled, is a dynamic document that captures our resource advantages as a State, our current position on the development ladder, and where we hope to be in the next 25 years as we commit ourselves to certain decision pathways with respect to public sector spending, effective governance paradigm, process strengthening and consistency in building the competencies of our people and institutions”, Gov. Otti stated.

The Governor underscored that what his administration is doing is not completely new, but bothers on planning, noting that the former document was reviewed to meet today’s reality and assured of its sustainability, given the fact that it has a legal backing.

“There was a 30-year development plan. But the advent of COVID and the change in the direction of the government, both at the centre and at the sub-national level, have combined to render that document invalid.

The Governor, who assured of the sustainability of the plan explained why some development plans fail, and maintained that the 25-Years Development Plan would not fail because of the legal backing, having been passed into law by the State House of Assembly and assented by the Executive Governor.

“A number of reasons have made development plans to fail. The first is the absence of a legislative framework to instil discipline in the execution.

“The second is the inability to realistically anticipate bombs and outline mitigation measures, or as we see all the time, the reckless pursuit of private interests by political actors and the absence of a suitable framework for calling them to order.

“All these pitfalls have been carefully noted, and in line with our determination to achieve the priority targets as captured in the plan, we have anchored our aspirations on a firm legislative foundation through the State House of Assembly.

“It’s going to be very, very difficult for certain administrations to evade it, simply because it has passed the scrutiny of not only SBAS and development partners, but the State House of Assembly. So, what I did moments ago was to sign this document into a law” Gov. Otti stated.

He explained that the document captures Abia’s resource advantages, its current position on the development ladder and clearly defined pathways for governance, infrastructure, human capital development and institutional strengthening.

According to Governor Otti, beginning from 2026, the State’s annual budgets and project implementation plans would be drawn directly from the development framework, making it the benchmark for measuring progress across key sectors such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, transportation, housing, water and sanitation and the environment.
He added that the Development Plan provides for a comprehensive review every five years, with flexibility to recalibrate priorities in the event of major socio-economic disruptions.

The Governor also outlined a major fiscal shift, revealing that the State aims to achieve self-sufficiency in funding recurrent expenditure through Internally Generated Revenue, while committing all external receipts to capital projects
Governor Otti commended members of the State Economic Management Team for the brilliance of their work and the commitment to getting the plan put together in good time and members of the Abia Global Economic Advisory Council for providing important directions, guiding the team and enriching the document with their extensive knowledge. He also appreciated the roles played by some development partners including, the UNDP, PIND and others.

In his goodwill message, the United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative, Ms Elsie Attafuah, represented by Ms Maureen Okoro said that the event signals the State’s determination to pursue a long-term, coherent, people-centered development pathway that prioritizes sustainability, inclusion and shared prosperity.

The UNDP commended the visionary leadership of Governor Alex Otti for embarking on the ambitious exercise, noting that the development plan aligns strongly with UNDP’s core development principles, evidence -based planning, inclusive growth, sustainable finance and human development, and assured of its support to execute the plan.

Also Speaking, the representative of Partnership Initiative In Niger Delta (PIND), Mr Chuks Ofolue noted that the 25-Years Development Plan which is a review of the 30-years development plan of the previous administration is more focused, adding that the document will serve as a guide for subsequent administrations.

The President of Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA), Mazi Jude Nwosu said that the plan represents government’s commitment to transforming the State into a fleet of progress, innovation, prosperity and vibrant economic hub in West Africa, and applauded Governor Otti for the bold step.

Earlier in his address, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Kingsley Anosike, said the development plan was built on the solid record of the Otti administration’s first 30 months, which he described as a period when “focused leadership compressed years of development into months”.
Mr Anosike added that reforms in Education, Healthcare, unprecedented revolution in infrastructure, and the Civil Service had renewed public trust and provided a strong foundation for the long-term development planning.

The Commissioner said that the 25-year plan aligns with global frameworks including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, ECOWAS Vision 2050 and Africa’s Agenda 2063.

He explained that the plan is structured around six strategic pillars, focusing on fiscal strength, industrialization, human capital development, climate resilience, governance reform and private sector engagement.

He described the document as “a plan of and for the people,” noting that it was developed through extensive consultations with traditional rulers, youths, women, civil society groups and development partners.