By Esther Ibe, Owerri
At least 28,000 applicants have applied for 4,000 teaching positions advertised by the Abia State Government.
The State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday in Umuahia while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
Kanu explained that the recruitment exercise represents the second batch of the teachers’ employment programme, which began with the opening of the application portal on November 6, 2025, and closed on November 29, 2025.
According to him, applicants were given a window to review and correct their submissions after the portal closed. He said the verification process would end this week, after which shortlisted candidates would sit for computer-based tests, followed by interviews for successful applicants.
“The state plans to recruit an additional 4,000 teachers from this exercise, adding to the 5,394 teachers employed last year,” Kanu said.
The commissioner also announced steps to inaugurate the Abia State Safe Schools Steering Committee, aimed at strengthening security in educational institutions across the state in response to emerging security concerns nationwide.
He explained that the committee would coordinate the implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration at the state level and develop protection protocols for schools, while encouraging collaboration among education, security, humanitarian, and civil society stakeholders.
Kanu further highlighted key digital milestones achieved by the state government, including the establishment of a Document Installation Bureau for land records, a centralised online recruitment platform to ensure transparency in government employment, and the redesign of the Abia State Government website as a hub for official information.
Other initiatives, he said, include the implementation of an e-Health Project in selected hospitals, the distribution of laptops to senior government officials to support digital governance, and ongoing monitoring of school resumption by education officers.
He added that work was progressing on the state’s smart school projects, noting that two of the facilities are expected to be ready for commissioning by February.
On transportation, Kanu said the state’s urban mass transit scheme, which commenced operations on December 24, 2025, had recorded strong public response, with over 31,500 passengers benefiting from free rides during the pilot phase. He added that full commercial operations would begin soon.