REPORTER: PEACE AGBO
The newly 25 years Development Plan unveiled and signed into law in Abia state by Governor Alex Otti of the State is a road map of development continuity irrespective of successive government in the state.
Governor Alex Otti announced this shortly after unveiling and signing the 25-year Abia State Development Plan into law at the International Conference Centre Ogurube Layout Umuahia.
Governor Otti who described development plan as a binding framework that will guide policy direction, budgeting and resource allocation in the State from 2025 till 2050 emphasized on the need for strategic planning as development does not happen by chance but through deliberate planning backed by discipline and law.
According to Governor Otti who titled his speech “Mapping the Future”, said the document unveiled by his administrarion is beyond a mere policy proposal, but a binding legal framework that will guide governance and development in the State for the next 25 years, irrespective of successive administrations.
Governor Otti explained that the volatile economic realities of recent years had rendered the previous administrations earlier 30-year plan, launched in 2020 obsolete, stressing that the new development plan is not a speculative document but a realistic and dynamic framework that reflects changed global and local fundamentals, recent economic reforms and Abia’s accelerated development trajectory over the past 30 months.
The Governor while emphasing that from 2026, the Sate’s annual budgets and project implementation plans would be drawn directly from the development framework, marks the benchmark for measuring progress across key sectors such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, transportation, housing, water and sanitation, and the environment.
He thanked all development partners including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), PIND, PACE and PwC, as well as the Abia Global Economic Advisory Council, for ensuring that the plan see the light of the day.
In separate goodwill messages the United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative Ms Elsie Attafuah represented by Ms Maureen Okoro and the the representative of Partnership Initiative In Niger Delta,PIND , Mr Chuks Ofolue amongst others commended Abia state government for the plan and reaffirmed their readiness to support Abia State in implementing, monitoring and reviewing the plan through data-driven systems, innovative financing, inclusive governance and institutional capacity building.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Kingsley Anosike, said the development plan was built on the solid record of the present administration’s first 30 months in office.
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.
