Governor Alex Otti has assented to the Startup Bill passed by the Abia State House of Assembly, officially enacting it as the Abia State Startup Law 2025. The development was disclosed on Monday by the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, during a briefing with journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting held in Umuahia.
Mr Kanu said the new law was designed to domesticate and implement the Nigerian Startup Act 2022 within Abia State. He explained that the legislation provides a framework to foster innovation, support tech-enabled startups, nurture digital talent and position Abia as a technology and innovation hub.
“The law applies to companies with major operations in Abia and startups duly recognised and labelled under the national Act,” Mr Kanu said.
The commissioner also revealed plans to launch a state-owned electric bus mass transit scheme under the Abia Transport Transformation Project. He said the first batch of 20 electric buses arrived in November, while another 20 units were expected early next year.
According to him, about 100 buses would be deployed in the first phase of the project. He added that the 40-seater electric buses were custom-built for Abia State and can travel up to 400 kilometres on a single charge.
“They are equipped with modern safety and comfort features, including cameras, charging ports, disability access, emergency exits and fire extinguishers,” he said.
Mr Kanu said the initiative would place Abia at the forefront of clean and environmentally friendly mass transit in Nigeria. He also disclosed that the Abia 25-Year Development Plan would be unveiled on Tuesday at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia.
He said the unveiling would attract development partners, advisory council members, local government chairmen, traditional rulers and other stakeholders.
On healthcare, Mr Kanu said the Abia Global Medical Mission commenced on Monday and would run until December 20, with free advanced medical services offered across designated centres.
Mr Kanu added that 850 youths would graduate from the second cohort of the Abia Techrise ICT Training Programme on Saturday, bringing the total number of beneficiaries trained under the programme in 2025 to 1,399 youths.
The commissioner said the works ministry continued direct labour interventions on major roads ahead of the yuletide. He urged residents to remain vigilant during the festive season and report suspicious activities to security agencies, adding that security agencies had been placed on full alert to safeguard lives and property.
