Otti unveils N306m tech-enabled business grants for Abians

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has launched a N306 million tech-enabling business grant called NKATA to support businesses across all 17 LGAS of the State.

Governor Otti, while speaking as he received the management team of the Abia State Technology Skills Acquisition Centre, (ATSAC), and unveiling the project,  reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and creating sustainable economic opportunities for the youths of the State.

Governor Otti reiterated that the initiative was deliberately designed to accommodate different categories of beneficiaries across the State to ensure inclusiveness and wider access to economic opportunities.

The State Chief Executive noted  that a total sum of N306 million had been earmarked for the  beneficiaries, saying that the beneficiaries must meet up with the requirements for benefiting from the project, expressing the hope that the intervention would yield positive results.

“I want to congratulate everyone. The N306 million is available, but beneficiaries must meet all the necessary conditions.

“In a few months’ time, I want to hear that this intervention has yielded results, not just in monetary terms, but in job creation, poverty reduction, and empowerment of our people”, he stated

The governor said that the programme aligns with his administration’s vision of building a productive, self-reliant and innovation-driven economy, saying Government has gone back and forth on the issue and is now convinced that it would help to support the youths.

He explained that his administration deliberately chose to invest in productive ventures capable of generating long-term economic value, instead of funding mere consumption.

“We have gone forth and back on this, and we are convinced that this is one of the ways to support and help our people.

“The easiest way to spend money is to give it to people who consume it, but we will receive value when it is invested, and that investment will yield returns. This is our own way of intervening”, the governor said.

Governor Otti further disclosed that the grant project forms part of broader economic empowerment initiatives of his administration targeted at equipping Abians with relevant skills and support to become self-reliant and employers of labour.

The governor said that the goal is to support and train Abia people so that they could become self-reliant and employers on their own, urging them to utilise the opportunity responsibly by expanding their businesses, creating jobs and contributing meaningfully to the economic growth and development of Abia State.

Peter Ukonu, Director-General, Abia State Technological Skills Acquisition Centre (ATSAC), earlier in his presentation, described the programme as a strategic intervention aimed at supporting businesses, reducing poverty and creating employment opportunities across the State.

He explained that the NKATA, which adopts a different structure by deploying support through technology providers, rather than giving cash, was deliberately designed to ensure that technology resources are utilized for business expansion and productivity rather than diverted to other personal expenditures.
“We are not giving cash to businesses directly. We are actually doing so through technology service providers,” Ukonu added.

He said that the programme brought together business technology service providers and mentors to drive digital tools, automation and AI, adding that the goal is to help Abia businesses move from survival to growth, improve productivity, create jobs and build a new generation of technology-enabling businesses.

Ukonu, who revealed that technology companies, software firms, hardware suppliers and internet providers would participate as service providers, while mentors, including those in the diaspora, would guide businesses in developing viable proposals and matching technological needs with solutions.

He explained that those eligible for the scheme are all Abia residents, who do business and pay taxes in Abia