Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has urged women in the state to remain vigilant and play an active role in raising children and contributing to the development of their families and communities.
Otti made the call on Friday in Umuahia, the state capital, at the 2026 Abia Women August Delegate Conference.
The governor described women as central to the stability of the family, while commending participants for attending the annual gathering.
He also acknowledged the interventions of his wife, Priscilla Otti, in improving the welfare and economic prospects of women across the state.
According to him, “Women are the bedrock of the family. In this new Abia, we take women very seriously.”
He urged the women to remain focused on their responsibilities, particularly the upbringing of children.
“I challenge our women to keep their eyes on the ball, because the upbringing of children starts with the woman in the home,” Otti said.
The governor disclosed that 35 vulnerable women had benefited from the First Lady’s housing intervention, adding that more beneficiaries would be included in the programme.
He also highlighted the Safe to Care Initiative and its Thrive Business Challenge, through which 10 women emerged as beneficiaries, while other participants received consolation prizes
Earlier, the First Lady urged women in Abia to move beyond merely surviving and instead build sustainable businesses and livelihoods.
Speaking on the theme of the conference, “Abia Women: Empowered to Thrive,” she said activities organised across the state’s 17 local government areas were designed to provide practical support and tackle factors contributing to women’s vulnerability.
She said the initiatives covered economic empowerment, skills acquisition and assistance for petty traders, farmers, widows and other vulnerable women.
Mrs Otti said one of the interventions involved providing decent accommodation for the mother of a survivor of gender-based violence.
According to her, “Poverty, poor shelter and lack of opportunity reinforce vulnerability. True empowerment must address those root causes and circumstances.”
She explained that the Thrive Business Challenge was designed not only to provide financial rewards but also to encourage women to develop properly structured businesses.
She said the initiative emphasised record-keeping, regulatory compliance, business structure 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 said.
The First Lady said applications for the challenge came from women across the state through various groups, civil society organisations and faith-based bodies, with 10 finalists eventually selected.
She added that every woman who participated in the challenge would receive N50,000, while finalists would receive productive assets and business support grants.
Representatives of banks, NAFDAC, tax authorities and the Ministry of Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises were also present to provide guidance to participants.
Mrs Otti said the long-term objective was to help women transition from dependence on grants to accessing single-digit interest loans by building businesses capable of meeting formal financing requirements.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Maureen Aghukwa, urged Abia women to position themselves as active contributors to the state’s development.
The winner of the Thrive Business Challenge, Nnaka Antonio-Samuel, described her victory as unexpected and said it had renewed her determination to expand 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.
Antonio-Samuel received a N2m cash prize and a Toyota Sienna bus.
The first runner-up received N1m, while the second runner-up was awarded N500,000.
