From Mark Chukwu, Umuahia
The Abia State Government has announced plans to commence the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets across the state in the first or second week of October 2026 as part of renewed efforts to prevent and control malaria.
The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, on Monday, September 21, 2026, while briefing journalists at the Government House, Umuahia, on decisions reached at the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
Kanu said the mosquito nets had already begun arriving in Abia, adding that Governor Otti would formally launch the distribution exercise once the final date had been established.
He explained that the government was consulting with stakeholders in the 17 Local Government Areas to ensure that the exercise was properly coordinated and reaches intended beneficiaries.
The commissioner also disclosed that the Ministry of Health, working with the National Malaria Elimination Programme, would commence mosquito larvae source management activities before the end of September.
According to him, the initial intervention would focus on Isuikwuato and Aba South Local Government Areas, where available data indicate significant mosquito breeding activities.
The strategy is designed to complement the distribution of treated nets by tackling mosquito breeding sites at source.
Meanwhile, the state government is also pursuing accreditation for health training programmes in the state. Kanu said the Ministry of Health had recently hosted the Optometrists and Opticians Regulatory Council of Nigeria and the National Board for Technical Education for accreditation-related activities covering optometry and nursing sciences.
The exercise includes nursing training programmes at the Federal Medical Centre and campuses of the Abia College of Nursing Sciences.
On youth development, Kanu announced preparations for the fourth cohort of the Abia TechRise programme following the completion of its first three cohorts.
He said the programme had so far produced 2,210 graduates, with 88 outstanding participants securing automatic employment in the Abia State Civil Service. Recent reporting also confirmed that the third cohort alone graduated 850 young people, bringing the programme’s cumulative number of graduates to 2,210.
The commissioner said the planned fourth cohort was part of the government’s effort to provide young people with relevant digital skills and create pathways to employment and other economic opportunities.
In the agricultural sector, Kanu said the Local Government Agricultural Innovation Programme was progressing across all 17 LGAs.
He disclosed that participating local governments had received approximately 2,040 birds under the Poultry Innovation Programme. He added that other agricultural value chains were being monitored, while some local governments had already begun harvesting caballero peppers from their farms.
The commissioner also provided an update on the Nchedo Sexual Assault Referral Centre, saying seven cases of gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence were recorded during the period under review.
The cases comprised six sexual violence cases and one domestic violence case involving five minors aged between 10 and 14 years and two adult women aged between 25 and 40 years.
Kanu said the reported incidents included alleged defilement, rape and domestic violence against a pregnant woman. The centre, he added, provided medical and other support services to survivors, including medical intervention and surgery for a 10-year-old survivor who suffered severe vaginal bleeding.
He said the cases had been documented for protection, investigation, referral and legal action, reaffirming the state government’s position that perpetrators of gender-based violence should face justice. Recent reports independently corroborated the seven-case figure and the breakdown provided by the commissioner.
The commissioner further announced that the Abia State Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Programme had commenced with a three-day fasting and prayer exercise from September 21 to 23.
Participants were expected to observe the fast daily from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with the programme scheduled to culminate in a Solemn Assembly and Covenant Renewal Service on Thursday, September 24.
Kanu also announced that Abia would host the 2026 World Igbo Day celebration on September 29, bringing together South-East governors, Igbo leaders and other participants.
He said the event would provide an opportunity for Ndigbo to reflect on their shared identity, unity of purpose and contributions to the development of Alaigbo.
The celebration, themed “Njikọ Aka,” is expected to feature a keynote lecture titled “Igbo Charter and the Development of Alaigbo,” alongside a wreath-laying ceremony in honour of fallen Igbo heroes and heroines.
Other activities on the programme include an interdenominational church service, a march-past involving participating state delegations, traditional dances and speeches by South-East governors and prominent Igbo leaders.
On diphtheria prevention, Kanu said Abia had not recorded any case of the disease at the time of the briefing.
He explained that the state government’s public health department had established an outbreak prevention and preparedness plan following reports of diphtheria outbreaks in some parts of the country.
The commissioner said the focus of the Ministry of Health’s advisory was therefore on strengthening surveillance, preparedness and preventive measures to protect residents.
The briefing was attended by the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma.
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The combination of malaria prevention measures, health-sector accreditation, youth digital training, agricultural interventions and public-health preparedness formed part of the updates presented by the Abia State Government following the State Executive Council meeting.
