Wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Chidinma Otti has set out to get Abia school children ready for the 2025/2026 academic session by providing them with bags, books, writing materials, among others.
The essential school materials were provided for the target beneficiaries under the back-to-school outreach programme of her pet project, the Safe Tent Care Initiative.
At the launch of the programme for Abia Central zone at the International Conference Centre Umuahia, Mrs. Otti said that it “warms my heart” to see indigent pupils return to school well prepared with essential school materials.
Accordihg to her, the beneficiaries not only received the physical materials but “above all (imbued) with hope” that education would open for them a window of opportunities to dream big and reach the heights.
She said that the ultimate goal was to reach 1,000 primary school pupils across Abia with school materials beginning with 300 pupils in Abia Central that have received theirs.
“What we are doing may seem like a single drop in the ocean; yet, as we all know, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step (and) today is one of those steps,” she said.
Mrs. Otti: It warms my heart when children are provided with essential school materials.
The Abia First Lady stated that the outreach programme would be expanded in the coming years, to reach more pupils across the state in order to make the free and compulsory basic education policy of Abia government more impactful.
“Our target,” she explained, “is to extend this support to government primary school children in at least one school in each of the184 wards of Abia State”.
“Through this, we will ensure that indigent children – wherever they are – have access to the essential tools of learning, and that free and compulsory education is not just a policy, but a lived reality,” she stated.
Mrs. Otti noted that investing in education remained a worthwhile venture as it “raises living standards. It strengthens communities. It gives children confidence and dignity.
“When you equip a child with a book, a pen, school supplies, you do more than just supply material goods – you say: You matter. Your future matters. We believe in you.
“This outreach supports that policy. It complements government’s broader development plan — to ensure no child is left behind because of lack of materials, or because their parents cannot afford basic supplies,” she said.
The Abia Governor’s wife further harped on the importance of education, urging pupils to aim high and achieve their life ambitions irrespective of their backgrounds.
She stressed the transformative power of education, citing her husband, Governor Alex Otti, who defied his humble beginning and rose to the top thereby serving as “a living testimony of what education can do”.
“Born into humble beginnings — the son of a pastor father and a mother who traded in the market — he never let circumstances define his destiny.
“Through hard work, faith, determination, and the support of those who believed in him, he has become a leader deeply committed to transforming Abia through education. To me, the most fitting title he bears is ‘Education Champion,’” Mrs. Otti said.
She advised “our precious children (to) treat what you receive today as more than items — treat them as tools. Use them to learn, to explore, to dream. Let your attendance be regular, your curiosity keen, and your effort strong”.
