Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
In a decisive push to deepen healthcare reforms and accelerate urban renewal, the Abia State Government has approved a strategic partnership with a United States–based medical consultancy to retrain health workers across the state.
This is as Governor Alex Otti is set to unveil new road and hospitality projects in Aba this week.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting presided over by the governor.
According to him, the government has endorsed a collaboration between the State Ministry of Health and QANTUS Medical Foundation, a U.S.-based healthcare consultancy, to train doctors, nurses, and other health professionals on global best practices.
He said the partnership is aimed at driving a “culture change” in healthcare delivery, improving communication, professionalism, and patient outcomes across all levels of care in the state.
“His Excellency has approved this collaboration to ensure that our health workers embrace best practices in service delivery. It is part of the ongoing healthcare reforms of this administration,” Kanu stated.
The commissioner further revealed that the Ministry of Health is set to operationalise 53 fully equipped Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) under Project Ekwueme, a move expected to significantly strengthen grassroots healthcare services.
He added that the Abia Q2 Health Pilot Project has already commenced in selected hospitals and PHCs across the state to further enhance service quality.
In another boost to the state’s healthcare profile, Kanu disclosed that the Paediatric Association of Nigeria has selected Abia State to host its 2027 Annual General Meeting, describing the choice as a recognition of Governor Otti’s health sector reforms.
Prince Kanu announced that the measles and rubella vaccination campaign, flagged off on February 3, 2026, recorded a 96 percent success rate, surpassing the national benchmark of 95 percent.
“The exercise covered all schools and social institutions across the state, with over 8,000 groups participating. Collation of final figures is ongoing,” he said.
On infrastructure, Kanu disclosed that Governor Otti would, on Wednesday, unveil the Ovom Street Road in Aba and also flag off the construction of the Enyimba International Hotel.
He described the Ovom Road project as a landmark engineering achievement, noting that the road was constructed on a site previously reclaimed from severe erosion.
“It is one of the most captivating engineering feats of this administration. Both the road and the Enyimba Hotel represent major milestones in Aba’s urban renewal and commercial revival,” he said.
The commissioner also revealed that the governor would, on Thursday, flag off the construction of the Ukwa East General Hospital at Ohanku, as part of efforts to ensure equitable access to healthcare across the state.
Responding to questions, Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, explained that the QANTUS partnership aligns with the governor’s reform agenda anchored on global standards.
“These are experts who support health systems by training doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health workers to adopt best practices and behavioural skills needed to deliver quality healthcare,” he said.
He explained that the programme would be phased, beginning with doctors and nurses before cascading to healthcare workers at local government levels.
Prof. Uche also urged parents to ensure that their children are vaccinated, assuring them that vaccines administered in the state are safe and properly preserved in line with international protocols.
Present at the briefing were the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha.
