An Abia State’s 25-year development plan that would subsist till 2050 has been formally signed into law by Governor Alex Otti, noting that it would be very difficult for succeeding state governments to discard it without due process by the state House of Assembly.

The President of the Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ACCIMA), Jude Nwosu, described the plan as the government’s commitment to transforming the state into a hub of progress, innovation, prosperity, and a vibrant economic centre in West Africa, applauding Otti for the bold step.

Speaking during the activation yesterday at the International Conference Centre, the governor said it is a holistic development framework upon which the State’s policy direction and resource allocation outlook will be evaluated.

“This 25-Years Abia State Development Plan we have signed into law and unveiled is a dynamic document that captures our resource advantages as a state, our current position on the development ladder, and where we hope to be in the next 25 years as we commit ourselves to certain decision pathways with respect to public sector spending, effective governance paradigm, process strengthening and consistency in building the competencies of our people and institutions,” Otti stated.

The governor, however, acknowledged that there was the state’s 30-year development plan his administration inherited, explaining that the advent of COVID-19 and the change in the direction of the government, both at the centre and at the sub-national level, combined to invalidate the document.