NEWS
Abia Ranks Among Nigeria’s Top-Performing States as Fiscal Performance, Healthcare Gains Accelerate
Abia State has emerged as one of the top-performing states in Nigeria in the 2026 BudgIT State of States Report, recording notable improvements in revenue generation, expenditure, capital investment and overall fiscal performance between 2017 and 2025.
The development was disclosed by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, on Monday, September 7, 2026, while briefing newsmen at Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of the week’s State Executive Council meeting chaired by State Governor, Dr. Alex C. Otti, OFR.
Prince Kanu said the latest assessment provided an external indication of the progress being recorded by the state government in its management of public finances, alongside ongoing improvements in critical sectors including healthcare, education, infrastructure and governance.
According to the Commissioner, the BudgIT 2026 Report ranked Abia second in aggregate revenue growth, third in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) growth, first in total expenditure growth, first in capital expenditure growth and first in personnel expenditure growth.
He added that despite the significant increase in expenditure and investment, the state maintained comparatively contained overhead expenditure, a development he said reflected the administration’s prudent approach to the management of public resources.
“Abia State’s combination of revenue mobilisation, capital investment expansion and administrative cost restraint points to a story of adroit and prudent management of resources,” Prince Kanu stated.
The Commissioner explained that the fiscal performance recorded by Abia was not an isolated assessment, noting that the findings were consistent with the recent Philips Consulting State Performance Index, which also identified the state as one of the fastest-improving states in the country.
He, however, emphasised that the administration’s ultimate priority was not to engage in a competition with other states but to ensure that improved public finances translated into concrete benefits and better living conditions for residents.
According to him, the fiscal indicators were being reflected in the government’s increased interventions across sectors, particularly in infrastructure, education, healthcare and other areas directly connected to the welfare and economic opportunities of citizens.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, highlighted the state’s renewed efforts to tackle malaria, describing the ongoing mass distribution of Insecticide-Treated Nets as a significant public health intervention.
Professor Uche said the campaign was particularly noteworthy because it was being undertaken after more than 15 years since the state last witnessed a similar large-scale distribution exercise. He attributed the development to Governor Alex Otti’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery and addressing preventable diseases across the state.
The Health Commissioner, however, stressed that the effectiveness of the campaign would depend not merely on the distribution of the nets but on residents using them properly and consistently.
He disclosed that Abia had already recorded encouraging progress in its fight against malaria, with the prevalence rate dropping from 16 per cent in 2024 to 11 per cent in 2025.
Professor Uche said the figure placed Abia below the national average of approximately 15.2 per cent, describing the reduction as encouraging while making it clear that the government was determined to achieve even greater progress.
He said the state was targeting an additional reduction of about five percentage points, with the ultimate objective of bringing malaria prevalence into single digits.
“We are encouraged by the reduction from 16 per cent to 11 per cent, but we are not satisfied yet.
“Our target is to bring malaria prevalence in Abia down to single digits, and this campaign is one of the interventions that will help us achieve that objective,” he stated.
Professor Uche explained that the state government was pursuing a multifaceted malaria-control strategy rather than relying solely on insecticide-treated nets.
The approach, he said, includes larval source management as well as the identification of malaria hotspots across the state, enabling interventions to be directed towards communities and locations where the disease poses a greater threat.
He also called on residents to take personal responsibility for environmental sanitation, stressing that government interventions would have greater impact when supported by community action.
The Commissioner urged Abians to maintain clean surroundings, eliminate stagnant water and remove other potential mosquito breeding sites around homes and communities.
The developments, taken together, highlight the administration’s ongoing focus on combining stronger fiscal management with increased investment in public services, while placing emphasis on measurable outcomes that directly aff
ect the lives and wellbeing of citizens.