In what is being described as a transformative milestone for the health sector in Abia State, the anticipated Abia Medical City project will officially be flagged off on July 10, 2025, by Governor Alex Otti.
This announcement was made by the State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, during a press briefing on Monday following the weekly Executive Council meeting held in Umuahia.
“The Abia Medical City will transform the state into a major hub for advanced medical services,” Kanu stated, noting that the state-of-the-art facility will occupy over 200 hectares of land and house a 1,000-bed hospital, a five-star hotel, and accommodation for patients and their families.
The $1.3 billion project, a partnership between the state government and MKP International Holdings, will operate on a Build-Upgrade-Transfer (BUT) model, with the state providing land as its equity.
“This signature project will ultimately reverse the trend of medical tourism, not just for Abia but for Nigeria and the West African sub-region,” Kanu said, adding that construction access roads are nearing completion, and the facility is projected to be delivered within 24 months.
Beyond healthcare, the State Executive Council also approved the flag-off of 11 rural roads and three agro-logistics markets under the World Bank-assisted Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP). These markets will be sited in Obinto (Arochukwu), Eke Uzuakoli (Bende), and Ndioro (Ikwuano), while the rural roads will span all 17 local government areas.
“The Otti-led administration has so far paid ₦4.1 billion as counterpart funding for RAAMP, which underscores the governor’s unwavering commitment to statewide infrastructure-led rural development.”” Kanu disclosed.
In a further drive to deepen environmental reforms, the Commissioner announced that the state will formally reintroduce sanitary inspectors, known locally as Ndi Ole Ala, on Thursday, June 26.
“The programme will be launched in Umuahia and then replicated in all 17 LGAs to enhance cleanliness at the grassroots,” he said.
The state’s sanitation agency, ASEPA, is also extending its reach to all three sanitary zones, with 26 new waste receptacles fabricated by the Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic in Aba. The Commissioner said this expansion and ongoing desilting of stormwater channels are part of efforts to avert flooding during the rainy season.
ASEPA’s efforts, he added, have not gone unnoticed as a recent independent survey conducted by Flo FM and Obioma FM named it the most impactful state agency in Abia.
In road infrastructure, Kanu noted that 48 direct labour road projects are currently ongoing across the state. Two have been completed: the 1-kilometre Ahiama-Umueka-oku-Olokoro Road in Umuahia South and the 11.4-kilometre Nkwegu-Afugiri-Umueyata Road in Umuahia North. Three new projects have also been added, including the 400-metre Ozuama Spur through Kopas lodge in Umuahia North, 3.3-kilometre Abiriba Roundabout to Uriakwa Junction in Aba, and the 120-metre Senator Adolphus Nwagbara road off IBB-Ahiaeke Road in Umuahia.
On security, Kanu addressed a recent cult-related incident in Umuahia. According to him, a man was macheted around Imo Lane off Uzuakoli Road by suspected cultists, but swift intervention by the state’s special task force, Operation Crush, led to the arrest of a suspect. One cult member, he confirmed, was fatally hit by a warning shot while fleeing.
“We ordinarily would have waited for police investigations to conclude, but we had to address false narratives suggesting that Operation Crush shot an innocent bystander. That is completely false,” Kanu said.
He reiterated the administration’s commitment to transparency, infrastructure, health, rural development, sanitation and public safety, promising that the government will continue to provide updates as developments unfold.