UN, Other Partners, Endorse Abia’s 25-year Development Plan

•As Gov Otti unveils plan, assures of sustainability

Boniface Okoro in Umuahia

The transformation of Abia State will henceforth be patterned after a 25-year Development Plan designed to take the state to the totem pole of economic well-being and development.

The document, officially unveiled by the state governor, Dr. Alex Otti, Tuesday, after he had signed into law a bill that would guarantee the plan’s sustainability, has received the endorsement by the United Nations Development Programme and other development partners.

Unveiling the plan expected to last from 2025 to 2050, at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, the governor described it as a holistic development framework upon which the state’s policy direction and resource allocation outlook would be evaluated.

“The 25-Year Abia State Development Plan, which we have signed into law and unveiled, is a dynamic document that captures our resource advantages as a state, our current position on the development ladder, and where we hope to be in the next 25 years as we commit ourselves to certain decision pathways with respect to public sector spending, effective governance paradigm, process strengthening and consistency in building the competencies of our people and institutions,” Dr. Otti said.

He clarified that what his administration was doing was not completely new, but borders on planning, explaining that the 30-year development Plan of the Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu-led administration was reviewed to meet current realities.

“There was a 30-year development plan. But the advent of COVID and the change in the direction of the government, both at the centre and at the sub-national level, have combined to render that document invalid.

“The 25-Year Development Plan would not fail because of the legal backing, having been passed into law by the State House of assembly and assented to by the executive governor.

“A number of reasons have made development plans to fail. The first is the absence of a legislative framework to instill discipline in the execution. The second is the inability to realistically anticipate bombs and outline mitigation measures, or as we see all the time, the reckless pursuit of private interests by political actors and the absence of a suitable framework for calling them to order.

“All these pitfalls have been carefully noted, and in line with our determination to achieve the priority targets as captured in the plan, we have anchored our aspirations on a firm legislative foundation through the State House of Assembly.

“It’s going to be very, very difficult for certain administrations to evade it, simply because it has passed the scrutiny of not only SBAS and development partners, but the State House of Assembly. So, what I did moments ago was to sign this document into a law” the governor said.

He commended members of the State Economic Management Team for the brilliance of their work and the commitment to getting the plan put together in good time.

He also lauded members of the Abia Global Economic Advisory Council for providing important directions, guiding the team and enriching the document with their extensive knowledge.

Further, he appreciated the roles played by some development partners including, the UNDP, PIND and others.

In her goodwill message, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, represented by Ms. Maureen Okoro, noted the development plan aligns strongly with the agency’s core development principles, evidence-based planning, inclusive growth, sustainable finance and human development.

Attafuah said that the event signals Abia’s determination to pursue a long-term, coherent, people-centered development pathway that prioritizes sustainability, inclusion and shared prosperity; assuring of UNDP’s support in executing the plan.

Representative of Partnership Initiative in Niger Delta (PIND), Mr. Chuks Ofolue, also in his goodwill message, said that the 25-Year Development Plan, which is a review of the 30-year development plan of the previous administration, was more focused, adding the document would serve as a guide for subsequent administrations.

The President of Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA), Mazi Jude Nwosu, said the plan represents government’s commitment to transforming the state into a fleet of progress, innovation, prosperity and vibrant economic hub in West Africa, and commended Governor Otti for the bold step.