Abia to get $250m World Bank health gran
The Abia State Government has been cleared by the World Bank to benefit from a $250m grant aimed at strengthening health security in Nigeria.
The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
Kanu said the state’s inclusion followed ongoing reforms in the health sector, which qualified Abia as one of the beneficiaries under the intervention programme.
He added that the Federal Government’s Rural Emergency Services and Maternal Transport Programme had been domesticated in the state to improve access to emergency healthcare and reduce maternal and child mortality.
The commissioner further disclosed that the 2026 edition of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas Medical Mission would commence in the state, with plans to conduct about 1,500 medical consultations and 100 specialised surgeries.
Kanu noted that a recent visit by a World Bank team to assess the state’s public finance system in the health sector also contributed to the development.
He added that no cases of major public health concerns such as Lassa fever, mpox, diphtheria, yellow fever or cholera were recorded within the period under review.
On education, he said the Abia State Accelerated Basic Education Programme had commenced, offering residents the opportunity to complete primary education within three years.
He urged residents to take advantage of the initiative, describing it as a step towards improving literacy and access to education in the state.
