By Foster Obi
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, yesterday declared that Aba, the commercial heartbeat of the South-East, has risen from years of neglect to reclaim its place as Nigeria’s foremost industrial and entrepreneurial hub.
Speaking at a grand reception in Aba Township Stadium to mark the commissioning of Port Harcourt Road and seven other road clusters by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the governor said the event symbolised not just the opening of roads but the rebuilding of destiny.
“Aba, once in ruins, is now back and ready to roar again,” Otti declared to thunderous applause, describing the ceremony as a celebration of the city’s resilient spirit and its rebirth as the engine of regional commerce.
Otti praised President Tinubu for his administration’s support in restoring Aba’s commercial advantage through massive road rehabilitation and federal backing in the fight against insecurity, noting that Abia remains one of Nigeria’s safest states.
“The partnership between Abia and Abuja has brought a new season of joy and warmth to Enyimba City,” he said. “The miracle of Aba’s restoration points to the power of collaboration across political divides.”
He recalled that the reconstruction of Port Harcourt Road fulfilled a major campaign promise, with Julius Berger Plc completing the project ahead of schedule. Built in the early 1980s under the administration of Dee Sam Mbakwn, the road had collapsed after decades of neglect, becoming a symbol of decay before its recent revival. Otti also highlighted the commissioning of seven additional roads — Ohanku, Ndoki, Ajiwe, Umuatako, Gabriel Nwosu, Nkoro, and Peoples Road — describing them as critical economic arteries that would expand trade, create jobs, and catalyse growth.
“These roads are more than infrastructure; they are instruments of destiny,” he said. “Over the next 12 months, the volume of trade between Aba and other business capitals will double.”
The governor disclosed that Abia had launched an export-growth lab to help Made-in-Aba products penetrate international markets and had partnered with Radisson Blu to transform the Enyimba Hotel into a five-star hospitality and convention centre. He added that Aba, once notorious for filth, had now emerged as one of Nigeria’s cleanest cities, thanks to aggressive urban renewal, waste management reforms, and a streamlined land administration system anchored on the C-of-O-in-30-Days policy.
Looking beyond state borders, Otti urged the Federal Government to invest in a Calabar–Enugu rail corridor and optimise seaports in the South-East and South-South to boost exports, cut logistics costs, and expand Nigeria’s non-oil revenue.
He also appealed for federal partnership in developing the region’s vast natural gas reserves, saying the South-East was ready to support national energy security efforts.
“Natural gas has become critical in the new global energy order,” Otti said. “It would be to our national advantage to develop these reserves in ways that protect the ecosystem.”
Governor Otti thanked President Tinubu for honouring Abia with his presence, saying the commissioning marked not just an infrastructural milestone but a symbolic moment of rebirth for the Enyimba spirit.
“Today, we celebrate the rebuilding of destiny,” he concluded. “May God bless Abia State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
President Tinubu was represented at the event by Works Minister, Dave Umahi.
Pictures: At the commissioning. Works Minister, Dave Umahi represented President Tinubu. Abia-born deputy speaker, House of Reps, Benjamin Kalu was also present.
