Abia to launch new MSME policy to boost GDP

Abia State Government has announced plans to launch a new State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Policy to boost the State’s economic and industrial growth.

The policy, which would be launched through the Ministry of Industry and SMEs, would seek to leverage on the national policy on MSMEs to develop the state in line with business peculiarities prevalent in the State.

Okey Kanu, Commissioner for Information, announced this on at Government House Umuahia, while briefing newsmen on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting, chaired by Governor Alex Otti.

He explained that the policy document, which would be ready for launching before the end of September 2026, would put Abia in the forefront amongst other states in the country.

“The policy document will seek to act as a primary framework to foster an enabling business environment aimed at a 30% GDP contribution by 2030 for the state, to enhance access to finance, trading and market equality.

“The policy will focus on transforming the business sector, addressing rural-urban imbalances and stimulating job creation, particularly through the growth initiative,” Kanu stated.

The Information Commissioner said the State Government would soon launch the Citizens Contact Centre, an initiative designed to strengthen governance and position the citizens to be part of the governance process in a most innovative way in the state.

“The Centre, when launched, will improve communication and the feedback process between the citizens and the State Government.

“The Centre will help government to track complaints from the citizenry, thereby improving the official communication and feedback mechanismwhich Government requires for effective planning.

He added that the Centre would reduce the complaints of citizens in the state government offices, even for the simplest of reasons.

Kanu further informed that the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) had been awarded full accreditation, by the West African Community of Physicians for training of Doctors in community medicine, noting that the accreditation would last for a period of 5- years.

“Of course, it speaks to what that health facility has come out to be. “We recall that when this government came into office, it met the hospital in a sorry state.

“They had lost their accreditation. The first thing we did was to get the accreditation back for many of their causes. Today, we are singing a different song,”Kanu stated.

He further revealed that the AMPA and Abia State Government collaborative free medical outreach would be taking place from the April 11th to April 17th, 2026, inadding that free medical consultation, free general surgeries, free eye care and surgeries and free training for health workers, would be offered, venue for the medical outreach would be at the Aba General Hospital and Abia Specialist Hospital Umuahia.

He added that the State Ministry of Health is collaborating with the Jimmy Carter Foundation on free hydrocele surgeries, revealing that he stated that so far, about 74 patients had been identified to undergo surgeries, and that the surgeries which started on Monday, March 16, 2026.

Kanu, who disclosed that the Abia State Government had commenced the implementation of the CONHESS Salary Scale for Local Government health workers, said that the implementation of the Ministry of Health digital health is going on well and disclosed that the construction of the Ukwa East General Hospital, had started and the contractor has a period of 9-months to complete the work.