…to procure 40 electric buses for mass transit
Abia State Government through the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development in collaboration with Ethnocentric Limited, has prepared 1,200 Abia youths for the second cohort of the Fashion Skills Acquisition programme in garments and leather works.
This programme, according to the State Government, is designed to equip Abia youths with skills in garment making and leather works.
Okey Kanu, Commissioner for Information stated this while briefing Journalists at Government House on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex OttI.
Kanu hinted that the programme had so far attracted over $3 million worth of sponsorship funding from Mastercard Foundation.
“This huge injection of of sponsorship funds into Abia state economy is due largely because of the sterling governance credentials of His Excellency, Dr Alex OttI and how the state is currently perceived, not just in Nigeria, but the world”, Kanu said.
He further hinted that State Government had increased the number of electric buses to be procured for the State’s mass transit programme from 20 to 40.
This decision, he noted, was arrived at during Abia State’s Executive Council meeting. Kanu said apart from the increase in the number of the electric buses in its mass transit fleet, Government had also increased the number of charging stations from 10 to 20.
The Commissioner, who stated that the first 20 buses would arrive in November, further said that 12 of it would operate in Aba and 8 in Umuahia.
“Council has approved the increase in the number of electric buses to be procured for the state’s mass transit programme to 40. From the additional 20 buses ordered by the state government, some will operate on Ohafia – Bende axis of the state. One bus sample was ready for inspection by the end of July.
“The arrival of these buses will no doubt strengthen the ongoing revolutionary transformation of the transport sector of the State. The construction of a state of the art bus terminals in Aba and Umuahia is equally ongoing. In addition, the junction improvement work is ongoing while bus shelters are springing up at designated routes in Umuahia and Aba,” Kanu stated.
He also said that the Abia State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, had launched an ambitious Abia State Creative Talent Hunt initiative designed to empower young innovators and talents in music.
