I have watched Nigerian governors come and go. I have seen state coffers emptied, debts pile up like unburied corpses, and roads collapse into gullies that swallow entire communities. I have watched leaders blame the federal government, blame oil prices, blame the moon – anything except their own incompetence and greed.
Then I watched Alex Otti.
And for the first time in a long time, I stopped cynically laughing and started paying attention.
When Governor Alex Otti assumed office on May 29, 2023, he inherited a state that is drowning in debt. Abia's debt profile stood at a staggering ₦191.2 billion – a millstone accumulated over years of profligate governance by previous administrations. The inherited liabilities had become a major obstacle to growth, limiting the government’s ability to invest in infrastructure, deliver essential services, or inspire any confidence among investors.
Otti, as any serious leader would do, got to work
Within less than three years, Abia's debt burden has plunged from ₦191 billion to approximately ₦48 billion – a reduction of over 74%. The state has so far paid down over ₦142 billion from the inherited debt stock.
And here is the part that should make every other Nigerian governor hide their face in shame: Otti has not borrowed a single kobo to achieve this. No new loans. No fresh debts. No mortgaging of Abia's future to pay for today's consumption.
Dr. Benson Nwaigburu, General Manager of the Abia State Debt Management Office, described this as "a landmark achievement in fiscal governance" and noted that repaying more than 70 per cent of inherited liabilities within less than three years is "a strong fiscal performance by sub-national standards, especially at a period when many states across the federation have either maintained or increased their debt profiles".
Let me translate that for you: while other governors are busy borrowing tomorrow's money to fund today's wasteful spending, Alex Otti is paying down yesterday's debts and building new infrastructure with money he actually has.
How did he do it? Not through magic. Through reforms. Real ones.
Upon assuming office, Otti immediately introduced reforms centred on fiscal discipline, transparency, accountability, and strategic planning. Rather than accumulate fresh loans, his government focused on strengthening internally generated revenue, blocking financial leakages, reducing wasteful expenditure, and ensuring that public funds were directed toward productive and priority sectors.
The results speak for themselves. Key to this transformation has been the blocking of financial leakages, prioritization of essential expenditures, and enforcement of accountability across government institutions. The Abia State Debt Management Office, which had remained "largely inactive and ineffective" before Otti, has undergone a significant transformation through policies anchored on accountability, transparency, and integrity.
Even development partners have taken notice. The European Union and UNICEF have commended Abia for operating a transparent budgeting system, with a lead consultant describing the Otti-led administration as "very transparent" in its fiscal approach. The Abia State Government has also been cleared by the World Bank to benefit from a $250 million grant aimed at strengthening health security in Nigeria.
This is what happens when you stop stealing and start working.
Now, here is the part that truly separates Otti from the pack. While other governors borrow billions and produce nothing, Otti has used the resources freed up by debt reduction to actually build things. Lots of things.
Roads and Infrastructure: Over 140 Projects and Counting
As of early 2026, over 140 roads have been constructed or rehabilitated across the state, opening up rural areas and boosting local economies. This is not an exaggeration – this is documented.
In Aba, the commercial heart of Abia, the list of completed roads reads like a roll call of previously abandoned arteries now pumping life back into the city: Port Harcourt Road, Aguiyi Ironsi Boulevard, Ohanku Road, People's Road, Emelogu Road, Kent Road, Umuoba Road, Ndoki Road, Ovom Road (including the dramatic erosion control project), Elizabeth Avenue, Toonak Drive, College Road, Umule Road, University Road, Queens Avenue, Umuode Road, MCC Road, Cemetery Road, Asa Road, Abak Road, Obiora Road, Echte Road, Obohia Road, Enyimba Ariaria, Bakassi Ariaria, and Omuma Road – all completed.
In June 2025 alone, Otti commissioned 14 new road projects rehabilitated across Aba and its environs, describing the moment as "a celebration of a new epoch".
In Umuahia, the expansion of Ossah Road into a six-lane boulevard – now Aguiyi Ironsi Boulevard – has emerged as a flagship project reflecting the governor's vision for modern urban development. Library Avenue, Cooperative Road, and multiple internal roads in the capital have also been completed.
In Arochukwu, Otti commissioned the newly reconstructed Omenuko Bridge – a colonial-era structure that had deteriorated into a "death trap" – alongside a rehabilitated 30-kilometre Amuvi-Ndi Okereke Abam Road. The old bridge had claimed lives for decades, including 17 students who drowned in 2007 while travelling to write examinations. Today, that bridge stands as a testament to what happens when a leader actually cares.
In February 2026, Otti commissioned Ovom Street in Aba, an area that had suffered severe gully erosion that swallowed buildings, destroyed businesses, and forced families to flee. Rather than wait for federal ecological funds, Otti personally visited the site, ordered immediate action, and transformed a "deep and dangerous valley" into stable, motorable plain land.
In March 2026, the Governor commissioned a modern 5 MVA power plant at Abia State University, Uturu, increasing its capacity from 2.5 MVA to 5 MVA, alongside three retrofitted hostels.
Education: ₦14 Billion and Counting
In August 2025, Otti announced that his administration had spent over ₦14 billion on the renovation and upgrading of schools across the state.
The numbers are staggering: 20 Smart Schools currently under construction; 221 primary and secondary schools undergoing rehabilitation under the first phase of the state's comprehensive upgrade programme; 5,394 new teachers recruited and deployed, with an additional 4,000 teachers approved for recruitment, bringing the total to nearly 10,000 new educators.
At the tertiary level, Abia State Polytechnic secured a ₦2 billion TETFund Special High Impact Intervention grant, making it the only beneficiary in the South East among 18 state-owned polytechnics nationwide. Abia State University, Uturu, is receiving a 5,000-bed hostel, new faculty buildings for Law and Agriculture, and the rehabilitation of dilapidated hostels.
In the 2026 budget, Otti committed 20% of the entire budget to education – a higher allocation than almost any other state in the federation.
Healthcare: From Neglect to World-Class Ambition
The health sector transformation under Otti is nothing short of revolutionary.
Under Project Ekwueme, primary healthcare centres across all 184 wards are being upgraded, alongside improvements at tertiary facilities such as the Abia State University Teaching Hospital. As of August 2025, 120 out of 200 targeted Primary Healthcare Centres had been rehabilitated, with expanded facilities including staff accommodation for 24-hour service delivery.
The administration has approved the recruitment of 771 healthcare professionals, while the state's Health Insurance Scheme has so far enrolled 101,000 residents.
But the crown jewel is the $1.3 billion Abia Medical City – a 1,000-bed hospital complex with state-of-the-art equipment, a five-star hotel, and comprehensive accommodation for patients and families, all spread across 200 hectares. The project is being delivered through a Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) partnership and is projected to be completed within 24 months. This is not just a hospital; it is a direct challenge to the medical tourism that has drained billions of dollars from Nigeria's economy.
In March 2026, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated a $1 million MRI machine to the Abia State University Teaching Hospital. The World Bank has also cleared Abia to benefit from a $250 million grant for health security.
Digital Economy and Technology
In October 2025, Otti performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC) Abia State DUCT Infrastructure Project – a transformative initiative designed to run an interconnected underground duct system to support reliable broadband technology across the state. Upon completion, the project is expected to create not less than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Water, Sanitation, and Power
In July 2025, Otti launched the Abia Integrated Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Accelerated Programme (IWAP) , alongside a 150 kVA solar power and 430 kWh battery storage system for the Abia State Specialist and Diagnostic Centre. The WASH project integrates solar energy, water supply, and sanitation facilities – a holistic approach that addresses multiple needs simultaneously.
The Abia State Government has also ordered 32 electric buses and revived the long-moribund Aba water scheme.
Federal Roads and Intergovernmental Cooperation
Perhaps most impressively, the Federal Government has handed over several federal roads to Abia State for completion, including the Owerri–Umuaka Road, Onuigbo–Umuahia Road, Omezuo Bridge, and the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene Road – key arterial routes long plagued by neglect and funding challenges. Minister of Works David Umahi commended Otti for "taking the bull by the horns" and showing "leadership focused on the people, not on partisan politics".
Otti has made it clear that his administration will fix any road used by Abia residents, federal or state, without waiting for reimbursement. "They're all used by Abia residents," he said.
Let me be blunt: Good governance is not rocket science.
You either know what you are doing, or you are busy stealing and lying.
Alex Otti has reduced Abia's debt by over 74% – from ₦191.2 billion to ₦48.4 billion – without borrowing a single new kobo. He has built or rehabilitated over 140 roads across the state. He has invested ₦14 billion in education, recruited nearly 10,000 teachers, and launched 20 Smart Schools. He has upgraded primary healthcare centres across all 184 wards, recruited 771 healthcare professionals, and launched a $1.3 billion Medical City that will rival anything on the continent. He has brought broadband infrastructure, solar power, and clean water to communities that had been abandoned for decades.
And he has done all of this without borrowing.
Compare this to other states where governors have doubled, tripled, or quadrupled their debt profiles while producing nothing but potholes, unpaid salaries, and photo opportunities. Compare this to the federal government where leaders talk about transparency while appointing partisan insiders to oversee elections.
Alex Otti has shown what is possible when a leader prioritizes competence over connections, discipline over debt, and results over rhetoric.
The rest of Nigeria should be taking notes. Because the people of Abia are no longer weeping. They are watching – and they are finally seeing what good governance looks like.