Abia State Moves to Establish South East’s First National Park
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has expressed strong support for the creation of the first National Park in Nigeria’s South East region, a project slated for Abia. The governor’s endorsement came during a meeting with a delegation from the National Park Service, led by the Chairman of its Governing Council, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu, at the governor’s office.
Governor Otti described the initiative as timely and assured the delegation of the state government’s full backing. He noted that Abia has 19 forest reserves, with 18 currently available for consideration, which he said presents an opportunity to establish at least one conservation area in each of the state’s 17 local government areas.
“Coincidences just keep happening. Earlier this morning, I approved a request from the Honourable Commissioner for Environment for the tracing of forest reserves. Clearly, there is somewhere to start from,” Governor Otti said.
The governor directed the Commissioner for Environment to collaborate with the National Park Service and relevant experts to identify a suitable location for the proposed park. He also announced that a team, led by the Commissioner for Environment and including climate change and environmental experts, would be constituted to ensure the park’s successful establishment.
“Nature is something you cannot do away with. Sometimes, when you think you have overcome nature through technology, nature will still rise. That is why conservation is very important,” Governor Otti stated.
Addressing a Regional Gap
Dr. Ononogbu reminded the governor of his earlier commitment to the project, pointing out that the South East is the only zone in Nigeria without a National Park. “The South East has zero in having a national park. This is a glaring omission that must be corrected, and Abia State, under your leadership, is best positioned to pioneer this change,” he said.
He added that establishing a park in Abia would create greater inclusion and career opportunities for the zone’s residents. To move forward, Dr. Ononogbu requested that the state government identify a suitable forest or game reserve for upgrade, constitute a committee to work with the National Park Service, and forward a formal proposal to the Honourable Minister of Environment or the Conservator General of the National Park Service.
He also commended Governor Otti for the achievements made during his tenure.
Digital Tool Targets High-Risk Pregnancies
In a separate development, the Abia State government has piloted a digital application called CyTracker, designed to identify and track high-risk pregnancies with the goal of reducing maternal and child mortality across the state.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed the initiative during a press briefing in Umuahia. He revealed that the application has already been successfully used to track teenage pregnancies and monitor expectant mothers through delivery.
Prince Kanu described the initiative as another practical demonstration of the administration’s commitment to using technology to improve healthcare outcomes.
Healthcare and Governance Milestones
The commissioner also announced that Abia State has emerged as number one in healthcare affordability and among the top three states in healthcare quality in Nigeria. He noted that Abia was the only state to achieve top three positions in 13 out of 16 indicators of good governance based on citizens’ perception, further highlighting the impact of the administration’s reforms.
Providing an update on the functionalisation of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), Prince Kanu said the first 50 functionalised PHCs accounted for more than 20 percent of the over 1.067 million outpatient department visits recorded across the state between July 2025 and June 2026. He also announced that three additional PHCs had been functionalised between July 27 and August 10, bringing the total number of functionalised PHCs in the state to 151.
These developments underscore the state’s dual focus on environmental conservation and healthcare innovation, as Abia positions itself as a leader in both areas within the region.