Remain vigilant, Otti urges Abia women

The Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has described Abia women as the foundation of the family and urged them to remain vigilant and focused on raising their children.

Otti spoke on Friday in Umuahia, the state capital, during the Abia Women August Delegate Conference 2026.

She congratulated participants for attending the conference and thanked God for preserving their lives, noting that not everyone who attended last year’s meeting was present this year.

The governor also commended his wife, Mrs Priscilla Otti, for her interventions through women-focused programmes.

He said, “Women are the bedrock of the family. In this new Abia, we take women very seriously.

“I challenge our women to keep their eyes on the ball, because the upbringing of children starts with the woman in the home.

“I also commend Her Excellency, my dear wife, for all she is doing for our women. 35 vulnerable women have benefited from the First Lady’s housing project, with plans underway to increase the number.

“Also, through the Safe to Care Initiative, the Thrive Business Challenge was organised, which saw 10 women emerge as beneficiaries while other participants went home with consolation prizes.”

Earlier, the wife of the governor called on women in the state to move beyond survival and embrace growth, structure, and enterprise, saying the 2026 August Meeting was themed “Abia Women: Empowered to Thrive”.

She said this year’s programmes across the 17 Local Government Areas were deliberately practical and targeted at addressing the root causes of vulnerability.

She said, “This year, we saw economic empowerment, skill acquisition, support for petty traders, farmers, widows and vulnerable women,” she said.

“One intervention that touched me was providing a decent home for the mother of a survivor of gender-based violence. Poverty, poor shelter and lack of opportunity reinforce vulnerability. True empowerment must address those root causes and circumstances.”

Mrs Otti revealed that a major highlight of the event was the “Thrive Business Challenge”, designed to change how women think about business.

According to her, the challenge is not just about prizes but about instilling record-keeping, structure, compliance, and access to finance.

“Most businesses we admire today succeeded because they built systems. Because they had records, banks could assess them for financing,” she explained.

She disclosed that entries were received from women across the state through groups, CSOs and faith-based organisations and that after evaluation, 10 finalists

emerged.

“To encourage all participants, she announced that every woman who entered will receive ₦50,000.

“Finalists will receive productive assets and business support grants. Banks, NAFDAC, tax authorities and the Ministry of Industry and SMEs were also on the ground to provide guidance and support.

“Our aspiration is for women to move beyond grants and access single-digit interest loans because their businesses are properly structured,” she added.

In a remark, the Commissioner for Women Affairs in the state, Mrs Maureen Aghukwa, urged Abia women to position themselves as active partners in the development of the state.

The winner of the “Thrive Business Challenge,” MS Nnaka Antonio-Samuel, said the victory came as a surprise and has renewed her drive to grow her business.

“I can’t even explain my joy. I am so happy and very surprised. This win has given me more strength to keep trying. I didn’t see this coming,” she said.

She won the star prize of ₦2,000,000 and a Toyota Sienna bus, while the first runner-up won ₦1,000,000 and the second runner-up won ₦500,000.