Abia adopts new system to improve quality, efficiency in school management

The Abia State Government has announced the adoption of an Education Management and Information System (EMIS) aimed at enhancing quality, efficiency, and data-driven management in basic and secondary schools across the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists at the Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting.

He explained that the new system would integrate education data and processes at the basic and secondary school levels into a central database to support planning, monitoring, and measurable outcomes in the education sector.

According to him, the state is also intensifying sensitisation campaigns on mass literacy, adult, and non-formal education programmes to boost enrolment, particularly targeting school dropouts, traders, artisans, and other adults who did not complete formal education.

Prince Kanu further revealed that the second batch of the teachers’ recruitment exercise is progressing steadily.

“At the last count, about 36,415 applications were received, while 24,023 applicants were shortlisted for the Computer-Based Test (CBT). The date for the CBT will be announced in due course.

“Last year, the state government employed 5,494 teachers, and the target for the second batch of recruitment is 4,000 teachers,” he stated.

He also confirmed that the mass literacy, adult, and non-formal education programmes have resumed for the 2025–2026 academic session in all 17 local government areas of the state.

Kanu noted that ongoing reforms in the education sector, particularly in basic and secondary education, are yielding positive results.

“Abia State, for the past three years, has consistently emerged as the best-performing state in NECO examinations. This record signposts the massive impact of the transformation reform agenda of His Excellency in the education sector,” he said.

In the area of economic development, the commissioner announced that Governor Alex Otti will, on February 25, formally flag off the construction of the state’s maiden 250-bed, five-star Enyimba International Hotel Limited in Aba, the commercial hub of the state.

He disclosed that the facility, to be constructed by Radisson Blu Group, an international hospitality brand, will begin with 155 rooms and later expand to 250 rooms.

The state government, he said, has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Radisson Blu Group, which will manage the hotel upon completion and full renovation.

“When fully operational, the facility is expected to generate about 5,500 direct and indirect jobs. The Abia State Government aims to boost its internally generated revenue through the five-star hotel project.

“The project will drive economic growth, enhance internally generated revenue, and position the state prominently in the Nigerian hospitality industry,” Kanu stated.

On sports development, the commissioner disclosed that Abia State emerged as the overall best-performing state at the recently concluded National Basic Education Schools Sports Games.

According to him, the state contingent won eight gold medals in athletics, alongside several other medals in different sporting categories.

“The performance of the Abia State contingent is an eloquent testimony to the success of the youth development programmes of this administration, particularly in school sports,” he said.

On infrastructure, Kanu revealed that the Ministry of Works has carried out direct labour projects at 14 locations across the state. He said four projects have been completed, while three additional projects have been added to the ministry’s maintenance schedule.

Among the completed projects are the maintenance of the 14.8-kilometre Alayi–Ugwueke Road in Bende LGA; the 1.1-kilometre Awomukwu–Umusokoro Road in Ikwuano LGA; 900 metres of Umusokoro Road in Ikwuano LGA; and the 9.1-kilometre Umunkpeyi–Umuru–Okokiri Road in Isialangwa South LGA.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, explained that the EMIS initiative is designed to capture comprehensive data on pupils in basic education.

“This system will enable us to monitor pupils’ progress and track their movement between schools. We observed that children often move from one school to another without proper documentation or control.

“The ministry will now regulate and monitor the transfer of pupils, whether in public or private schools. That is what we intend to achieve with this system,” Ubochi said.

He added that the date for the CBT for the second batch of teachers’ recruitment is yet to be fixed but assured that the public would be duly informed once a decision is reached.