Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has approved the immediate payment of ₦1 million each to 31 verified Abia indigenes who recently returned from South Africa, amounting to an initial intervention of ₦31 million.
The financial assistance is intended as immediate relief and interim support for the returnees as the state government works out more sustainable measures to help them rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ctz. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, announced the intervention in a statement issued on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
According to the statement, Governor Otti approved the payment to reassure the affected Abians that the state government had not abandoned them following their return from South Africa.
Beyond the immediate financial assistance, the government disclosed that a comprehensive profiling exercise is ongoing to determine the individual circumstances, skills and socio-economic realities of each of the 31 returnees.
The exercise is expected to provide the government with the information required to design targeted interventions that would support their sustainable reintegration and provide appropriate social protection.
“The approval is for immediate relief as an interim support measure, and to reassure the returnees that the Abia State Government has not abandoned them in their moment of need,” the statement said.
It added that the profiling would enable the government to develop interventions tailored to the peculiar needs and circumstances of individual returnees rather than adopt a one-size-fits-all approach.
The Otti administration described the intervention as part of its commitment to protecting the welfare and dignity of Abians, particularly citizens facing difficult circumstances at home or abroad.
According to the government, the ultimate objective is to give the returnees an opportunity to recover from their experiences, rebuild their livelihoods and become economically productive members of society.
The government noted that since assuming office, Governor Otti has prioritised programmes aimed at improving citizens’ welfare and providing support for vulnerable people and communities across the state.
The latest intervention comes amid heightened concerns over the safety and welfare of Nigerians living in South Africa.
The Abia State Government had recently condemned the reported killing of an Abia indigene, Chika Ibe of Lokpaukwu, Umunneochi Local Government Area, during an encounter involving members of the South African Police Service in Cape Town, while calling for a transparent investigation and justice.
Reaffirming its commitment to citizens within and outside Nigeria, the state government maintained that Abia remains home to all its sons and daughters irrespective of where they reside.
“The Government of Abia State under His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, reiterates that Abia remains home to all its sons and daughters. It assures that no Abian will be left behind, irrespective of their location or circumstance,” the statement added.
With the immediate intervention valued at ₦31 million, attention will now turn to the outcome of the ongoing profiling exercise and the longer-term reintegration packages the government may introduce for the affected returnees.
