26/08/2025
🛑 GOVERNOR ALEX OTTI COMMENCES TRAINING OF 5,349 NEWLY RECRUITED TEACHERS, POSITIONING ABIA STATE AS A MODEL FOR UNESCO’S EDUCATION SOLUTIONS
Umuahia, Monday, 25th August 2025 — In a landmark step towards transforming education in Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, has commenced the induction and training of 5,349 newly recruited teachers across Early Childhood, Primary, and Secondary school levels. This programme marks a bold continuation of the governor’s reforms to position Abia State as a hub of educational excellence in Nigeria and beyond.
The recruitment and training of teachers is a direct response to UNESCO’s alarming projection that 44 million additional teachers are needed globally by 2030 to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on quality education. Sub-Saharan Africa alone will require about 15 million teachers, highlighting the scale of the crisis. While teacher shortages plague many countries, Abia State is tackling the challenge proactively—employing, training, and retaining qualified teachers.
Governor Otti’s administration received an overwhelming response when it advertised for the recruitment of new teachers in early 2025. Over 30,000 applications were submitted, underscoring the renewed prestige and attractiveness of teaching in the state. Ultimately, 5,349 teachers were recruited strictly on merit, making this the most competitive and transparent hiring process in the state’s education history.
The teachers are now undergoing a 12-day induction programme at training centres in Umuahia and Aba, facilitated by the Education Reform Implementation Team (ERIT) with the support of numerous Lead Master Trainers previously trained under the AbiaFIRST initiative. The training programme is designed to ensure that teachers are equipped with world-class pedagogical and leadership skills from day one.
The training programme is structured across different learning levels. For Early Childhood Education, teachers are trained .
