Abia State Governor Alex Otti has approved automatic employment into the state civil service for the 19 best-performing graduates of the TechRise ICT Skills Development Programme, Cohort 3. He also approved a ₦100,000 cash grant for each of the 850 graduates.
Otti announced the measures on Friday, August 21, 2026, during the graduation ceremony of the third cohort in Umuahia. The 850 participants had completed three months of intensive ICT training under the state’s digital skills programme.
The governor also directed that the 850 laptops used during the training be given to the graduates to support their continued learning and professional development. He further ordered the creation of a special salary cadre for ICT professionals in the state civil service, subject to applicable conditions.
Otti said the government would integrate qualified TechRise graduates into ICT projects across ministries, departments and agencies. He also praised participants who developed a functional drone and directed the relevant ministry to support efforts to develop the innovation into a commercial product.
Daily Times
