The Abia State Government has announced that it will commence the shortlisting of successful candidates from the 28,213 applicants who applied for the second batch of the teachers’ recruitment exercise approved by Governor Alex Otti.
According to a publication by News Leverage, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this at the end of an Executive meeting led by Governor Alex Otti, following the closure of the application portal on November 29, 2025, and the ongoing verification and correction window, which is expected to end this week.
According to Kanu, the shortlisted candidates will advance to computer-based tests (CBT), after which successful candidates will be invited for interviews.
Kanu further disclosed that at the end of the process, an additional 4,000 teachers are expected to be recruited, bringing the total number of teachers employed by the state to 9,394 within the past year.
In a move to strengthen safety across the education sector, the government has also inaugurated the Abia State Safe Schools Steering Committee.
The committee is tasked with coordinating the implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration, developing and monitoring safety protocols, engaging key stakeholders, and mobilising resources to safeguard lives and property in all educational institutions across the state.
On infrastructure and innovation, the government disclosed that two smart schools will be ready for commissioning by February.
Significant progress has reportedly been made in infrastructure development, equipment installation, and teacher training to ensure the schools are fully operational upon commissioning.
Meanwhile, schools across Abia State resumed on Monday, January 12, 2026, for the second term of the 2025/2026 academic session.
Education officers have commenced monitoring exercises to ensure full compliance by both basic and secondary schools.
The Otti-led administration has also recorded major milestones in digital governance. These include the establishment of a Document Digitisation Bureau for land records, the creation of a centralised online recruitment platform, the redesign of the Abia State Government website, and the rollout of an e-Health project in six pilot hospitals.
As part of efforts to fully digitise government operations, laptops have also been procured and distributed to select senior government officials.
