Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has approved a ₦306 million technology-driven empowerment scheme tagged “NKATA”, aimed at supporting entrepreneurs across the state’s 17 local government areas.
The initiative, unveiled during a meeting with the management team of the Abia State Technology Skills Acquisition Centre, is designed to stimulate job creation, strengthen small businesses, and drive sustainable economic growth through innovation and digital enterprise support.
Governor Otti said the programme was deliberately structured to ensure inclusiveness, while insisting that beneficiaries must meet clearly defined conditions before accessing the intervention.
“I want to congratulate everyone. The ₦306 million is available, but beneficiaries must meet all the necessary conditions,” Otti said.
He stressed that the impact of the scheme would be measured beyond financial disbursement, focusing instead on productivity and employment outcomes.
“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 added.
The governor said the NKATA scheme reflects his administration’s commitment to building a productive and innovation-led economy rather than consumption-based interventions.
“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,” he said.
Explaining the philosophy behind the programme, Otti added:
“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.”
He further noted that the broader goal is to equip residents with skills and resources to become economically independent.
“The goal is to support and train Abia people so that they can become self-reliant and employers on their own,” the governor said.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Abia State Technology Skills Acquisition Centre, Peter Ukonu, said the NKATA initiative is structured to drive business growth, reduce poverty, and create employment through a technology-enabled support system rather than direct cash transfers.
“We are not giving cash to businesses directly. We are actually doing so through technology service providers,” Ukonu explained.
He said the programme would connect beneficiaries with software firms, hardware providers, internet service companies, business mentors, and diaspora experts to enhance digital transformation, automation, and productivity.
According to him, the scheme is designed to help businesses transition from survival mode to sustainable growth while strengthening Abia’s emerging tech-driven economy.
Ukonu added that only residents who operate active businesses and comply with tax obligations in the state would qualify for participation.
