UMUAHIA — Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has described women as the foundation of the family and urged them to remain vigilant and committed to the proper upbringing of their children.
Otti made the call on Friday in Umuahia, the state capital, while speaking at the 2026 Abia Women August Delegate Conference.
The governor congratulated the women for participating in the annual conference and thanked God for preserving their lives, noting that some of those who attended the previous year’s gathering were no longer alive to participate in this year’s event.
He also commended his wife, Mrs Priscilla Otti, for her various interventions aimed at improving the welfare and economic wellbeing of women across the state.
Otti said women play a critical role in shaping the family and, by extension, the society, stressing that the upbringing of children largely begins from the home.
“Women are the bedrock of the family. In this new Abia, we take women very seriously.
“I challenge our women to keep their eyes on the ball, because the upbringing of children starts with the woman in the home,” the governor said.
He praised the First Lady for her women-focused initiatives, revealing that 35 vulnerable women had benefited from her housing project, with plans to expand the scheme to accommodate more beneficiaries.
According to him, the Safe to Care Initiative also introduced the Thrive Business Challenge, through which 10 women emerged as beneficiaries, while other participants received consolation prizes.
Earlier in her address, the wife of the governor urged women in Abia State to move beyond survival and embrace sustainable growth, proper business structure and entrepreneurship.
The 2026 Abia Women August Meeting was held under the theme, “Abia Women: Empowered to Thrive.”
Mrs Otti said the programmes implemented across the state’s 17 local government areas were deliberately designed to provide practical support and tackle the underlying causes of vulnerability among women.
She said the interventions covered economic empowerment, skills acquisition and support for petty traders, farmers, widows and other vulnerable women.
“This year, we saw economic empowerment, skill acquisition, support for petty traders, farmers, widows and vulnerable women,” she said.
She particularly highlighted an intervention involving the provision of a decent home for the mother of a survivor of gender-based violence, describing it as one of the initiatives that deeply touched her.
According to her, poverty, inadequate shelter and limited economic opportunities often worsen the vulnerability of women, stressing that meaningful empowerment must address these challenges rather than focus solely on short-term financial assistance.
“One intervention that touched me was providing a decent home for the mother of a survivor of gender-based violence. Poverty, poor shelter and lack of opportunity reinforce vulnerability. True empowerment must address those root causes and circumstances,” she said.
Mrs Otti further explained that the Thrive Business Challenge was designed not merely to distribute prizes but to encourage women to build sustainable businesses through proper record-keeping, structure, regulatory compliance and access to finance.
She noted that many successful businesses became attractive to financial institutions because they had proper systems and reliable records that enabled banks to assess their operations and provide financing.
“Most businesses we admire today succeeded because they built systems. Because they had records, banks could assess them for financing,” she explained.
She disclosed that women from across the state submitted entries for the business challenge through various groups, civil society organisations and faith-based organisations.
Following an evaluation process, she said, 10 finalists emerged.
As part of efforts to encourage wider participation, Mrs Otti announced that every woman who entered the competition would receive ₦50,000.
She added that the finalists would receive productive assets and business support grants to enable them to expand their enterprises.
Representatives of banks, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, tax authorities, as well as the Ministry of Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises, were also present to provide guidance to the beneficiaries and other participants.
“Our aspiration is for women to move beyond grants and access single-digit interest loans because their businesses are properly structured,” she added.
In her remarks, the Commissioner for Women Affairs in Abia State, Mrs Maureen Aghukwa, urged women to see themselves as active partners in the development of the state.
She encouraged them to take advantage of available opportunities, strengthen their businesses and contribute meaningfully to the economic and social advancement of Abia.
The winner of the Thrive Business Challenge, Ms Nnaka Antonio-Samuel, expressed surprise and excitement over her victory, saying the recognition had renewed her determination to grow her business.
“I can’t even explain my joy. I am so happy and very surprised. This win has given me more strength to keep trying. I didn’t see this coming,” she said.
Antonio-Samuel emerged as the overall winner and received a ₦2 million cash prize and a Toyota Sienna bus.
The first runner-up received ₦1 million, while the second runner-up received ₦500,000.
