The Abia State Government has intensified efforts to improve housing and living conditions across the state, with plans to rehabilitate existing housing estates and commence the construction of new residential units.
The government has directed the Ministry of Housing to rehabilitate and sanitise the World Bank Housing Estate at Abayi-Umuocham in Aba, as part of measures to restore the estate and improve residents’ living conditions.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday, August 10, 2026, while briefing journalists at Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting.
Kanu said the intervention would include the rehabilitation of roads within the estate and measures to address activities contributing to its deterioration.
He added that the Ministry of Housing had also been directed to collaborate with the Ministry of Works to undertake rainy-season maintenance of roads at Amaoba Housing Estate, Umuahia, pending their permanent reconstruction.
The commissioner further disclosed that the government had provided a new transformer for Amaoba Housing Estate to address electricity challenges confronting residents.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Housing, Architect Chiemela Uzoije, said an inspection of the World Bank Housing Estate revealed several activities contributing to its deterioration, including street trading and farming along roads.
Uzoije said the government would restore order and upgrade the estate through improved roads, street lighting and better environmental management.
He said activities such as street trading and farming along estate roads would no longer be tolerated as part of efforts to restore the area to an acceptable standard.
On the proposed Pocket Housing Layout in Umuahia, the commissioner said the scheme would feature detached five-bedroom houses with boys’ quarters, semi-detached units, as well as two- and three-bedroom blocks of flats.
He explained that the development was designed to provide different housing options for prospective subscribers.
According to him, registration for intending subscribers would commence through an Expression of Interest process, followed by the opening of a dedicated payment portal.
Uzoije assured prospective beneficiaries that the allocation process would be transparent and operated on a first-come, first-served basis under an off-plan payment arrangement.
He said subscribers would pay 30 per cent at the commencement of construction, 40 per cent at the midpoint, and the remaining 30 per cent upon completion.
The commissioner added that contractors were expected to mobilise to site within a week, with the government targeting completion and handover of the houses by the end of 2026 or early 2027.
The housing intervention is part of Governor Alex Otti’s administration’s broader plan to provide quality, accessible and affordable housing while improving infrastructure in existing estates across Abia.
The government also announced that activities marking the 35th anniversary of Abia State would focus on commissioning completed projects and flagging off new ones, rather than the traditional ceremonies and awards.
Kanu said the anniversary would provide another opportunity for the administration to showcase projects aimed at improving the living standards of Abia residents.
