Gov. Alex Otti of Abia State has assented to the Startup Bill passed by the House of Assembly, officially enacting it as the Abia State Startup Law 2025.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting in Umuahia.
Kanu said the law was enacted to domesticate and implement the Nigerian Startup Act 2022 within Abia State.
He explained that the new law provides a structured framework to foster innovation, support tech-enabled startups, nurture digital talent and position Abia as a leading technology and innovation hub.
“The law applies to companies with major operations in Abia and startups duly recognised and labelled under the national Act,” Kanu said.
The commissioner also announced plans to launch a state-owned electric bus mass transit scheme under the Abia Transport Transformation Project.
He said the first batch of 20 electric buses arrived in November, while another 20 buses are expected early next year, adding that about 100 buses would be deployed in the first phase of the project.
According to him, the 40-seater buses are custom-built for Abia and can travel up to 400 kilometres on a single charge.
“They are equipped with modern safety and comfort features, including cameras, charging ports, disability access, emergency exits and fire extinguishers,” he said.
Kanu said the initiative would position Abia at the forefront of clean and environmentally friendly mass transit in Nigeria.
He further disclosed that the Abia 25-Year Development Plan would be unveiled on Tuesday at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia.
He said the event would bring together development partners, members of the advisory council, local government chairmen, traditional rulers and other key stakeholders.
On healthcare, Kanu said the Abia Global Medical Mission commenced on Monday and would run until Dec. 20, 2025, offering free advanced medical services across designated centres in the state.
He also revealed that 850 youths would graduate from the second cohort of the Abia Techrise ICT Training Programme on Saturday, bringing the total number of beneficiaries trained in 2025 to 1,399 youths.
The commissioner said the Ministry of Works was continuing direct labour interventions on major roads across the state ahead of the yuletide.
He urged residents to remain vigilant during the festive season and report suspicious activities to security agencies, noting that security agencies had been placed on full alert to protect lives and property across the state.