No fewer than 28,213 applicants have applied for the 4,000 teaching positions recently advertised by the Abia State Government.

The Commissioner for Information in the state, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday in Umuahia, the state capital, while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.

Kanu explained that the ongoing recruitment represents the second batch of the teachers’ employment exercise initiated by the present administration. He stated that the exercise officially commenced with the opening of the application portal on November 6, 2025, and closed on Friday, November 29, 2025.

He added that following the closure of the application portal, applicants were granted an opportunity to review their submissions in order to verify and correct any errors in their application details.

According to him, “The window for verification of submissions closes this week. The applicants will be sent thereafter to sit for computer-based tests. Those who pass the tests will now go for the interview.

“It is worthy to recall that the state government plans to employ an additional 4,000 teachers from this exercise, to add to the 5,394 teachers earlier employed sometime in the last year.”

The commissioner also revealed that as part of ongoing efforts by the Abia State Government to safeguard lives and property, arrangements have been concluded for the inauguration of the Abia State Safe Schools Steering Committee.

He noted that the establishment of the committee was in response to the growing need to protect educational institutions across the state, particularly in view of emerging security concerns nationwide.

Kanu said, “During the inauguration, it was highlighted that the committee will serve as a multi-sectoral strategic platform to coordinate state-level implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration, to develop and monitor safeguard and protection protocols for schools across the state.

“Stakeholders from the education, security, humanitarian and civil sectors are encouraged to mobilise financial and technical resources for safer learning spaces across the state.”

He further disclosed that significant progress has been recorded in the state’s drive to digitalise government operations through the Office of the Chief Information Officer, which has achieved several major digital milestones.

“In line with the state government’s efforts to have its operations digitalised, the Office of the Chief Information Officer has recorded some major digital milestones. First is the establishment of a Document Installation Bureau, which the Office of the CIO jointly established with the Ministry of Lands, and this is for land records and processing.

“This is one of the first around the state. The second milestone is the establishment of a centralised online recruitment platform. This will enable access and equity in government employment.

“The third digital milestone is the redesigned Area State Government website, which now serves as a primary source of all key government information about the state.

“The fourth and final milestone is the implementation of the e-Health Project with six pilot institutions automating their records and hospital management.”

Kanu also stated that the government has procured and distributed laptops to all senior government officials as part of its broader digitalisation agenda.

“This is the first of its kind in the state, and the state government is one that encourages its workers to be the best they can be,” the commissioner added.

He equally disclosed that education officers responsible for basic and secondary education will be deployed to monitor the resumption of schools across the state to ensure full compliance by all public schools.

The commissioner further said that work is progressing steadily on the state’s mass school projects, noting that significant milestones have already been achieved in infrastructure development, provision of equipment and the training of teachers who will manage the smart schools upon completion.

“Two of the smart schools may be off for commissioning sometime in February,” he stated.

On transportation, Kanu announced that the state’s urban mass transit scheme officially commenced operations on December 24, 2025, adding that the pilot phase of the programme is currently ongoing.

He explained that the pilot phase began with three inter-city and intra-city bus routes operating across different parts of the state.

According to him, “During the two-week pilot period, operations were conducted across key mobility corridors within the state. Currently on offer are three intra-city routes in Umuahia.

“Three intra-city routes in Aba. Other routes on offer are inter-city corridors from Aba to Umuahia and from Umuahia to Ohafia, respectively. Bus deployments during this period range from four buses on low-demand days to 17 buses on peak operational days.

“The pilot phase, of course, has recorded a very strong commuter response, indicating trust in government-led transport initiatives. Within this pilot phase, over 31,500 passengers have enjoyed these free bus rides and counted. In the days ahead, full commercial operations will commence.”

He added that supporting infrastructure for the mass transit service is nearing completion, including the bus terminal in Umuahia, junction improvement works within the capital city, and the installation of charging stations to support the operation.