During a visit to Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area on Tuesday, UNESCO’s Head of Office and Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr Jean-Paul Ngome-Abiaga, commended the administration for placing education and human capital development at the centre of its governance strategy.
According to him, the policy direction adopted by the state since 2023 is already producing encouraging signs, particularly in areas such as education reform, infrastructure development, and fiscal discipline. He described the current efforts as laying a credible foundation for improving learning outcomes across the state.
Ngome-Abiaga highlighted UNESCO’s growing engagement with Abia institutions, especially through programmes focused on health education. The partnership, he explained, has already produced measurable results.
More than 1,000 teachers have received training in health education, while over 700 community and religious leaders have been mobilised to promote awareness on HIV and general health issues. In addition, more than 300 schools are now participating under the Abia First Education Programme, an initiative launched by the state government.
“All these efforts started when you introduced the Abia First Education Programme,” the UNESCO official said, noting that the organisation intends to deepen its involvement. He encouraged the state to continue expanding its collaboration with UNESCO, increase funding for health education, and build wider partnerships in sectors covered by the agency’s mandate.
Reaffirming UNESCO’s commitment, Ngome-Abiaga said the organisation was ready to offer technical expertise and institutional support to assist Abia in designing and implementing programmes in education, science, culture, communication, information, and health education.
“We are here to support your work,” he said. “Our technical capacity is available whenever you need it.”
The meeting also spotlighted broader development partnerships. Olapeju Ibekwe, Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, spoke about the Africa Social Impact Summit, a platform established with the United Nations system in Nigeria to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Launched in 2022 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the summit was designed to encourage collaboration between governments, private companies, and development organisations. Ibekwe revealed that the initiative has already helped mobilise over $100 million in development financing.
She also introduced the Business Coalition for Education, a project created in partnership with the Office of the Vice President to tackle Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis by increasing private sector participation.
Ibekwe invited the Abia governor to attend the next Africa Social Impact Summit scheduled for July 22–23 at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos, while also urging the state to join the education coalition as a pioneer public-sector partner.
Responding to the proposals, Governor Otti welcomed the engagement and signalled the state’s readiness to expand cooperation with UNESCO and other development organisations.
“What you came with is a request that no one can say no to; partnership, support to reduce the number of out-of-school children, and increased investment in health education,” he said. “Those are essential priorities for any government that is serious.”
Governor Otti explained that the state currently allocates 20 per cent of its budget to education and 15 per cent to health, reflecting the administration’s focus on human development.
He also recounted the policy decision to introduce free and compulsory education after the government identified school fees as a major reason many children stayed out of classrooms.
The policy quickly led to a surge in school enrolment, forcing the government to take additional steps including recruiting thousands of teachers, rebuilding schools across the state, introducing smart schools, standardising the curriculum, and improving security around school facilities.
Looking ahead, the governor expressed confidence that sustained collaboration with UNESCO and other partners would help Abia continue strengthening its education system while reducing the number of children who remain outside the classroom.
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