Otti Charges Abia Youths To Embrace Selfless Service, Innovation For The New Abia Project

Governor To 1,086 Leadership Academy Graduates: “You Are Not Returning Home As Ordinary Citizens”  

UMUAHIA, Abia State – Governor Alex Otti has charged youths in the state to embrace selfless service, innovation and excellence, and to become active drivers of the New Abia project.

The Governor gave the charge on Saturday, August 29, 2026, during the graduation ceremony of the 2026 Abia State Leadership Academy Youth Leadership Boot Camp held at the *International Conference Centre, Ogurube Layout, Umuahia.

The four-week programme was organised by the Abia State Leadership Academy in collaboration with the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos.

Delivering a speech titled “The Leadership Vocation”, Otti congratulated the 1,086 graduates and reminded them that their graduation marked the beginning of greater responsibility.

“You are not going home as regular people anymore. You now belong to a special community of young minds with a responsibility to act with distinction and carry the light of excellence into your communities, schools, and wherever the future takes you,” Gov. Otti said.

He urged them to establish mentoring clusters, share the knowledge acquired, and mobilise their peers to become partners in building the New Abia.

“You can no longer be passive citizens. You are invited to remove the cloak of lethargy and embrace without hesitation the responsibility of selfless service,” he charged.

The Governor described the New Abia project as a transgenerational journey requiring patience, resilience, teamwork and commitment.

Commending the quality of training, the Governor noted that the selection process was “as seamless as it was transparent” and in line with the administration’s philosophy of merit.

He commended the President of the Academy, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, and his team, as well as the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University led by Dr. Nneka Okekaru for delivering the programme.

He also appreciated partners including the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Government College Umuahia, and the Nigerian Naval College of Accounts and Finance.

He directed the Academy to maintain a directory of participants and track their progress, expressing particular interest in seeing ideas from their capstone presentations translated into practical solutions.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Abia State Civil Service Commission, Pastor Dr. Eno Jerry Eze, said the 1,086 graduates were selected from over 7,000 applicants.

She said the 2026 theme, “Raising Transformational Leaders, Innovators and Change-Makers,” reflects the government’s vision to invest in human capital.

Prof. Kenneth Kalu, President of the Academy, thanked the Governor for establishing the institution as an investment in Abia’s future.

“Roads and buildings are important. But a generation shaped by values… that generation will outlast every structure one can ever erect,” he said.

He urged the graduates: “Go back to your communities and lead. Go back to your schools and solve. Go back to your families and model the values you have learned.”

The event featured goodwill messages from the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, and the President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe.