Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has charged youths to embrace selfless service, innovation and excellence, and to become active drivers of the New Abia project.
The Governor gave the charge during the graduation ceremony of the 2026 Abia State Leadership Academy Youth Leadership Boot Camp, organised by the Abia State Leadership Academy in collaboration with the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos.
The event held at the International Conference Centre, Ogurube Layout, Umuahia.
Governor Otti, whose speech was titled “The Leadership Vocation,” congratulated the 1,086 graduates of the Abia State Leadership Academy Boot Camp.
Gov. Otti reminded them that they were not returning home as ordinary citizens, and invited them to become active participants in the New Abia.
He commended the quality of training delivered, noting that the programme was designed to inspire participants to pursue meaningful impact.
“The process was as seamless as it was transparent, and today, we can see evidence that, in line with our philosophy of merit, only the best performers were chosen to be part of this class,” the Governor said.
Governor Otti commended the President of the Academy, Professor Kenneth Kalu, and his team for their dedication, as well as the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University, led by its Director, Dr. Nneka Okekaru, for their commitment to the successful delivery of the four-week programme.
The State Chief Executive also appreciated the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, the management of Government College Umuahia, and the Nigerian Naval College of Accounts and Finance for their partnership and support. He thanked parents for entrusting their children to the government for the programme.
The Governor noted that about 10 percent of the participants were young people of Abia origin living in different parts of the country, describing this as evidence that the administration’s inclusive policy of identifying anyone who lives in Abia as an Abian is yielding results.
The Governor particularly acknowledged one of the outstanding participants, Ms. Rosely Farida Abdusalam, who lives in Aba with her parents, saying her success demonstrated that the policy of “if you live in Abia, you are from Abia” is working.
Addressing the graduating class, Governor Otti urged them to understand that their graduation marks the beginning of a greater responsibility, rather than the end of their leadership journey.
“You are not going home as regular people anymore. You now belong to a special community of young minds with a responsibility to act with distinction and carry the light of excellence into your communities, schools, and wherever the future takes you,” Gov. Otti said.
Gov. Otti charged them to establish mentoring clusters, share the knowledge acquired at the academy, and mobilise their peers to become active partners in building the New Abia.
The Governor described the New Abia project as a transgenerational journey requiring patience, resilience, teamwork and commitment, and urged the graduates not to remain passive citizens.
The Governor stated that they would, in the future, occupy positions of influence and must therefore begin now to bridge the gap between the aspirations of the State’s founding generation and present realities.
“After your stay at the academy, you can no longer be passive citizens. You are invited to remove the cloak of lethargy and embrace without hesitation the responsibility of selfless service,” The Governor charged.
Governor Otti assured the graduates that the State Government would continue to support and monitor their growth, and directed the Academy to maintain a directory of participants and track their progress.
Gov. Otti expressed particular interest in seeing the ideas developed during their capstone presentations translated into practical solutions. “We are far more interested in seeing them come to fruition,” the Governor said.
He described the graduates as “bearers of solutions, drivers of innovation, and agents of transformation,” and encouraged them to approach the government whenever they require assistance to actualise their ventures.
The Governor urged the graduates to remain steadfast in the face of opposition and challenges, stressing that their choices would determine the kind of future they help to build.
“It is either you are voting for a prosperous future through your daily choices or you are undermining it by refusing to stand for your conviction,” The Governor said.
He expressed confidence in the young leaders and called on them to make a difference in their communities, adding that their achievements would be the best way to justify the confidence reposed in them by the State.
Governor Otti also thanked the graduates for being good ambassadors of Abia State and their families, and directed the Academy to sustain the leadership development programme.
The transformational leader prayed for the safe return of all participants and guests to their various destinations, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to raising a new generation of principled, innovative and service-oriented leaders for Abia and Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Abia State Civil Service Commission, Pastor Dr. Eno Jerry Eze said the Abia State Leadership Academy graduated 1,086 young people from its 2026 Youth Leadership Boot Camp, with a charge to become transformational leaders, innovators and change makers who will contribute meaningfully to the development of the State and the nation.
She noted that the 1,086 graduates were selected from more than 7,000 applicants, describing their selection as a testament to their potential and commitment to leadership.
According to her, the theme of the 2026 boot camp, “Raising Transformational Leaders, Innovators and Change-Makers,” reflects the vision of the Abia State Government under Governor Alex Otti to invest not only in physical infrastructure but also in the State’s most important asset – its young people.
“Under the leadership of His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, we are investing not just in roads, schools, climate-friendly transportation, agriculture, small and medium-sized enterprises and hospitals. We are also investing in our greatest assets, our young people,” she stated.
She explained that the theme was a call to participants to lead with integrity in their schools and communities, think creatively, develop solutions to problems around them, and take responsibility rather than waiting for others to act.
She said faculty members went beyond conventional lectures by exposing participants to real-life scenarios and encouraging them to think critically, understand the peculiarities of different situations, appreciate diverse perspectives and develop practical solutions.
“Through these sessions, you gained new perspectives on problem-solving techniques, learned to think more deeply, understand the peculiarities of each situation, and listened to different views across the table,” she stated.
She expressed appreciation to Governor Alex Otti for his commitment to empowering young people and commended the Abia State Leadership Academy for delivering what she described as a world-class programme.
Earlier, the Abia State Leadership Academy President, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, commended Governor Alex C. Otti for establishing the institution as a deliberate investment in the future of Abia State.
Prof. Kalu said the Academy was established because Governor Otti dared to ask a fundamental question: what if government invested not only in what Abia has today, but also in who Abia will become tomorrow.
According to him, the Governor could have chosen to concentrate exclusively on visible infrastructure such as roads, buildings and hospitals, which generate immediate public appreciation, but instead decided to invest in something that cannot be photographed – the minds, character and civic consciousness of young Abians.
“Roads, buildings and other structures are important, and Your Excellency is already doing a lot in those sectors.
“But a generation shaped by values, a generation taught to live with integrity, serve with compassion and build with purpose, that generation will outlast every structure one can ever erect,” he said.
The Academy President, on behalf of the faculty, staff and students, thanked the Governor for his support and vision, describing the establishment of the Academy as an investment whose impact would extend across generations.
“Thank you for planting a forest of leadership whose shade will shelter Abia for generations. History will remember this day that you came, you saw and you changed humanity for good,” he said.
Prof. Kalu urged the graduates to return to their communities and make a difference, stressing that they should take the values acquired during the programme into their schools, families and wider communities.
“Go back to your communities and lead. Go back to your schools and solve. Go back to your families and model the values you have learned during your time at the Academy,” he charged.
He further encouraged the young leaders to remain steadfast in the face of pressure and temptation, urging them to remember the values of the Academy whenever they were confronted with situations that could compromise their integrity.
“When you are tempted to compromise, as you will be tempted, please remember this day. When the path of integrity feels lonely, please remember the Academy,” he said.
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The event featured goodwill messages from the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, the President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe, among others.
