NEWS
Abia Set to Host British Deputy High Commissioner, Johnny Baxter as UK-Backed Digital Transformation Initiative Takes Centre Stage
The Abia State Government is set to welcome the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Johnny Baxter, on an official two-day visit to the state on September 16 and 17, 2026, in a high-level engagement expected to further strengthen cooperation between Abia State and the United Kingdom across critical sectors of development.
The visit is coming at a time the administration of Governor Alex Otti is intensifying efforts to attract strategic partnerships, deepen institutional reforms and leverage technology to improve governance, economic activities and public service delivery in the state.
During his visit, the Deputy High Commissioner is expected to engage with the state government and other stakeholders on key priority areas including Power, Trade and Commerce, Transportation, Education, Digital Transformation and Governance.
A major highlight of the visit will be his participation in the flag-off of the SPRIRET Initiative, a state-level Policy, Regulatory and Institutional Reform Enabling Digital Transformation programme designed to support reforms that will accelerate digital transformation and expand opportunities for digital inclusion across Abia.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed the planned visit on Monday, September 14, 2026, while briefing newsmen at Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
According to Prince Kanu, the SPRIRET Initiative is funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UK-FCDO) and is being implemented at no cost to the Abia State Government.
The Commissioner explained that the initiative represents another important step in the state’s ongoing efforts to strengthen digital capacity and modernise government institutions, adding that it builds on the Digital Access Programme through which more than 1,500 Abia civil servants were trained in 2024.
He said the British Deputy High Commissioner would pay a courtesy visit to Governor Alex Otti as part of the official engagements and would undertake inspection tours of some strategic projects and facilities that reflect the administration’s development priorities.
Among the locations scheduled for the tour are the Geometric Power Plant, Ariaria International Market in Aba, the Nnenna Oti Bus Terminal in Umuahia, the Solar Project and the Ubakala Smart School Project.
The planned tour is expected to provide the visiting British official with first-hand insight into some of the infrastructure, economic and human-capital development initiatives being undertaken by the Otti administration, while also offering opportunities for further discussions around areas where international partnerships can support the state’s development agenda.
Beyond project visits and government engagements, Mr. Baxter is also expected to interact with stakeholders drawn from the security sector, political space, civil society and the media, providing a broader platform for discussions on governance, development, security and institutional collaboration.
Prince Kanu further disclosed that the planned visit follows an earlier meeting between Mr. Baxter and Governor Otti at the recent Nigeria-British Chamber of Commerce Mini-Governor Series in Lagos.
The Commissioner said the Deputy High Commissioner used the occasion to commend Governor Otti’s performance in office, particularly the visible impact of the administration’s development initiatives.
“He opined that the Governor’s excellent performance in office, through his good works are speaking eloquently for him, not just in Nigeria, but around the globe,” Prince Kanu stated.
The visit is also significant as it marks the second visit by a top-ranking British Government official to Abia within just over two years.
Prince Kanu noted that the latest engagement follows the visit of the then British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Richard Montgomery, who visited Governor Alex Otti in Abia in August 2024.
The latest British diplomatic engagement is therefore expected to further consolidate the growing relationship between the Abia State Government and the United Kingdom, particularly in areas capable of stimulating economic growth, improving public institutions, expanding digital access and strengthening the state’s capacity to deliver quality services to citizens.
With Power, Trade and Commerce, Transportation, Education, Digital Transformation and Governance forming the core of the visit, the engagement is expected to provide another avenue for Abia to showcase its development trajectory while exploring new opportunities for internati
onal cooperation and investment.