The Abia State Government has offered 4,000 teaching posts, and no fewer than 28,213 people have applied.

In Umuahia, the state capital, Prince Okey Kanu, the state's Commissioner for Information, revealed this on Monday while briefing reporters on the results of this week's State Executive Council meeting, which was chaired by Governor Alex Otti.

Kanu clarified that the current hiring process is the second round of teacher employment that the current administration has started. According to him, the exercise formally started on November 6, 2025, when the application portal opened, and it ended on Friday, November 29, 2025.

He continued by saying that applicants had the chance to check their submissions after the application portal closed in order to confirm and fix any mistakes in their application details.

"This week is the last day to verify submissions," he said. After that, the candidates would be sent to take computer-based exams. The interview will now be held for those who pass the tests.

"It is important to remember that the state government intends to hire 4,000 more teachers as a result of this exercise, in addition to the 5,394 teachers who were previously hired at some point in the previous year."

The commissioner also revealed that as part of ongoing efforts by the Abia State Government to safeguard lives and property, arrangements have been concluded for the inauguration of the Abia State Safe Schools Steering Committee.

He noted that the establishment of the committee was in response to the growing need to protect educational institutions across the state, particularly in view of emerging security concerns nationwide.

Kanu said, “During the inauguration, it was highlighted that the committee will serve as a multi-sectoral strategic platform to coordinate state-level implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration, to develop and monitor safeguard and protection protocols for schools across the state.

“Stakeholders from the education, security, humanitarian and civil sectors are encouraged to mobilise financial and technical resources for safer learning spaces across the state.”

He further disclosed that significant progress has been recorded in the state’s drive to digitalise government operations through the Office of the Chief Information Officer, which has achieved several major digital milestones.

“In line with the state government’s efforts to have its operations digitalised, the Office of the Chief Information Officer has recorded some major digital milestones. First is the establishment of a Document Installation Bureau, which the Office of the CIO jointly established with the Ministry of Lands, and this is for land records and processing.

“This is one of the first around the state. The second milestone is the establishment of a centralised online recruitment platform. This will enable access and equity in government employment.

“The third digital milestone is the redesigned Area State Government website, which now serves as a primary source of all key government information about the state.

“The fourth and final milestone is the implementation of the e-Health Project with six pilot institutions automating their records and hospital management.”

Kanu also stated that the government has procured and distributed laptops to all senior government officials as part of its broader digitalisation agenda.

“This is the first of its kind in the state, and the state government is one that encourages its workers to be the best they can be,” the commissioner added.

He equally disclosed that education officers responsible for basic and secondary education will be deployed to monitor the resumption of schools across the state to ensure full compliance by all public schools.

The commissioner further said that work is progressing steadily on the state’s mass school projects, noting that significant milestones have already been achieved in infrastructure development, provision of equipment and the training of teachers who will manage the smart schools upon completion.

“Two of the smart schools may be off for commissioning sometime in February,” he stated.

On transportation, Kanu announced that the state’s urban mass transit scheme officially commenced operations on December 24, 2025, adding that the pilot phase of the programme is currently ongoing.

He explained that the pilot phase began with three inter-city and intra-city bus routes operating across different parts of the state.

According to him, “During the two-week pilot period, operations were conducted across key mobility corridors within the state. Currently on offer are three intra-city routes in Umuahia.

"There are three paths within Aba. Inter-city pathways from Aba to Umuahia and from Umuahia to Ohafia are additional options available. During this time, the number of buses deployed varies from four on days with low demand to seventeen on days with high demand.

Naturally, the trial phase has seen a very positive response from commuters, demonstrating confidence in government-led transport programs. Over 31,500 people have taken advantage of these complimentary bus rides during this experimental program. Full commercial operations will start in the coming days.

The bus terminal in Umuahia, junction improvements in the capital city, and the installation of charging stations to assist the operation are among the supporting infrastructure for the mass transportation service that he noted is almost finished.