Otti provides guaranteed employment, educational grants to ABSU students with top honors

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has launched a ₦200m business grant, with the best graduate receiving ₦5m, as part of efforts to support young entrepreneurs and outstanding students in the state.

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The announcement was made during the 30th-32nd convocation ceremony of Abia State University, held at Uturu, where Governor Otti revealed that all First Class graduates would be offered automatic lecturing appointments and postgraduate scholarships.

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As part of the new initiative, First Class graduands will be employed as graduate assistants upon completion of their National Youth Service Corps, while the best graduating students across departments with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 4.25 will also be offered employment.

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Governor Otti stated that approval has been given to the university management to commence the process of retaining all First Class graduates as graduate assistants, effective immediately.

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In addition to the employment opportunities, all First Class graduates from the three convocations will receive postgraduate scholarships up to the doctoral level in any public university of their choice within Nigeria, provided they accept the teaching positions.

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The State Head of Service has been directed to identify vacancies in the civil service for the absorption of 100 outstanding graduates from the combined sets, with priority given to disciplines such as education, computer science, statistics, and health-related fields.

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To boost youth entrepreneurship, Governor Otti has earmarked ₦200 million to support up to 100 graduates with viable business ideas, particularly in agriculture, ICT, and clean energy, with applicants required to submit proposals electronically on or before April 30, 2026.

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The governor personally awarded ₦5 million to the overall best graduating student, Mrs Oluchi Etumsi, and congratulated honorary award recipients, including Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Allen Onyema, and Stella Okoli, urging them to uphold the values of excellence and service.

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Governor Otti reaffirmed his administration's commitment to education, stating that efforts are underway to reposition Abia State University to compete with leading universities globally, and that investment in learning remains the strongest foundation for societal development.

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The governor also flagged off the reconstruction of the Abia State University International Secondary School, as part of his administration's efforts to improve education infrastructure in the state.

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Earlier, Governor Otti had inaugurated a 5-megawatt power substation built by his administration to address decades of power challenges at the institution, during an inspection of ongoing infrastructural developments on the campus.

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Chancellor Mrs Catherine Uju-Ifejika, Pro-Chancellor Rt Hon. Agwu U. Agwu, and Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ndukwe Okeudo commended Governor Otti for his sustained support, citing improved staff welfare, prompt salary payments, and ongoing infrastructural development within the university.

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A total of 69 graduands made First Class in the three sets, while 3,973 and 4,764 had second class upper and lower divisions, respectively, and 195 made third-class honours, with only one graduand having a pass out of the total of 10,255 graduands, including 690 postgraduates.