The Abia State Government has stepped up efforts to equip young people with digital technology skills, announcing plans to roll out the third cohort of its Techrise Youth Empowerment Programme.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Government House in Umuahia on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
Kanu said the programme had already trained about 1,350 youths under the first and second cohorts, noting that several beneficiaries have secured jobs in different organisations while others have launched their own businesses.
He explained that a registration portal for the next batch of trainees would soon be opened to interested participants, with additional details to be released in the coming weeks.
The commissioner also provided updates on the state’s mass transit initiative, known as the “Green Shuttle,” which officially transitioned to a commercial fare-paying service on March 1, 2026.
According to him, Governor Alex Otti has approved a 50 per cent fare subsidy for commuters using the service to make transportation more affordable.
Kanu revealed that between the scheme’s launch on December 24, 2025, and March 8, 2026, a total of 202,601 passengers had utilised the buses across the state.
He noted that the subsidy covers all inter-city and intra-city routes currently being operated under the scheme and is designed to support commuters while ensuring the long-term viability of the transport system.
Kanu further explained that the introduction of the commercial service requires commuters to obtain the Abia Connect Card through the platform’s e-ticketing system.
He added that registration for the Abia State Social Insurance Number (ABSSIN) is now a prerequisite for obtaining the card.
To facilitate the process, he said the Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with other agencies including the Harmonised Task Force, Homeland Security and the Abia State Road Traffic Management Agency, has been engaging stakeholders within the state’s transport sector.
The agencies, he said, are also conducting sensitisation and enforcement exercises across major bus stops and shelters to educate commuters about the new system.
Kanu added that ABSSIN enumerators have been deployed to various bus shelters and designated locations to assist commuters with registration.
Similarly, agents responsible for uploading funds onto the Abia Connect Cards through the touch-and-pay system have been stationed at key bus shelters in Aba and Umuahia.
Providing further details, the commissioner said the state currently has 70 bus shelters—30 in Umuahia and 40 in Aba.
While all 30 shelters in Umuahia are already operational, he noted that 38 of the 40 shelters in Aba are currently in use, with the remaining two nearing completion.
On infrastructure development, Kanu said the state government has completed the 22.5-kilometre third and final section of the Uzuakoli–Akara–Ohafia Road.
He added that construction work is presently ongoing at 31 different locations across the state.
According to him, direct labour projects are also being executed at 49 sites, with one project completed during the review period and four additional projects added to the maintenance schedule of the Ministry of Works.
The completed project, he said, is the reconstruction of the 1.25-kilometre Madonna Hospital Road, located off Aba Road in Umuahia.
He listed the newly approved projects to include the construction of the one-kilometre Okporoenyi–Isiegbu Road in Bende and the 4.71-kilometre Akara–Ovim Road in Isuikwuato Local Government Area.
Other projects include the maintenance of failed sections of the 8.6-kilometre Obinulo–Nkwoagu Junction–Nkwoagu–Isochi Road and sections of the 5.2-kilometre Nkwoagu Junction–Nkwoagu–Mbala–Isuochi Road, both located in Umunneochi Local Government Area.
Commenting on the transport reform, the Commissioner for Transport, Dr Chimezie Ukaegbu, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, described the scheme as a pilot initiative that would continue to evolve.
They explained that the transport system was introduced to lower transportation costs and address the exploitation of commuters and traders by commercial transport operators.
They added that the initiative would also help curb illegal levies and extortion often imposed on commercial vehicle drivers and tricycle operators, while supporting improved economic activity across the state.
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