The Abia state government has shortlisted 9,371 applicants for the teachers? recruitment exercise.

The shortlisted candidates will be invited for a Computer Based Test (CBT) on a soon-to-be-announced date.

Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing the press on the outcome of this week?s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.

He mentioned that the portal for applications was shut down on February 12th and the applications have since been processed.

?The portal for the recruitment of teachers was shut down on the 12th February 2025 and at the last count, about 29,797 applications were received.

?Out of this number, 9,371 applications were shortlisted and the shortlisted applications would be made to undergo a CBT as earlier announced.

?Those who passed the exams would be invited for oral interview after which the successful ones would be hired.

?The process of recruitment of these teachers has been designed to be transparent and merit-based,? Prince Kanu stated.

The commissioner used the opportunity to announce that on Wednesday the 26th of February 2025, Governor Alex Otti would be unveiling a major educational programme tagged ABIAFIRST with the theme, ?Re-imagining Education in Abia, Unleashing the Potential of Every Abia Youth.?

He described the programme as a visionary project that will revolutionize the educational system in the state and create world-class educational opportunities for every Abia child.

Prince Kanu further announced that the Abia state government has made the Igbo language a compulsory subject in the state?s school system from primary school to SS2.

According to him, ?The Igbo language which happens to be the identity of our people has been made compulsory in our schools up to SS2 level. This is to make sure our children are grounded in their mother tongue.

?It?s hoped that the compulsory re-introduction of the Igbo language will help drive the cultural and social revolution that this government is embarking upon,? Prince Kanu explained

He also disclosed that the state government has re-introduced the study of History in Abia schools with immediate effect and stressed the importance of History as a subject in basic and secondary education.

?Any society that is interested in making progress must be deliberate about keeping its history.

?We believe Abia state has a rich historical background which we are proud of and we intend to tell our children and succeeding generations our history,?

Contributing, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi explained that though History has been made compulsory in the past, most of the things taught in History tend to be a repetition of Civic Education.

?There is a new curriculum that is about to be released. It has been approved. By next academic year that new curriculum will be on board.

?But one good thing is that the state has the right to adjust a curriculum as it suits us.

?So, we are going to rejig the curriculum to bring those historical facts for which we are known into the curriculum so that a child who goes through secondary education will be able to know the basic history that makes Igbos very different from any others,? Elder Ubochi stated.

On the side of the teachers? recruitment exercise, Elder Ubochi explained how the Governor approved the increase in the number of those to be recruited from 2,500 to 5,000.

?Last time I was here, I told us that the State Executive Council graciously approved that 2,500 teachers be recruited.

?At the end of today, after reviewing the level of influx of children in our schools because of the free and compulsory education, we had to request the Governor to approve a higher number.

?By the time we are through with this process, about 5,000 teachers would be employed,? Elder Ubochi assure. (The Nation)

Update news