Abia Min. of Education Shortlists Candidates for Abia Teaching Jobs, 5,000 to Be Employed

The Abia State Government (ABSG) has selected 9,371 people for the upcoming teachers’ recruitment process. These people will take a computer-based test (CBT) on a date that will be announced soon.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, shared this news after a meeting led by Governor Alex Otti. He explained that the application process ended on February 12, 2025. The government received 29,797 applications in total.

“The portal for the recruitment of teachers was shut down on the 12th of 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 applicants will take a CBT as earlier announced. Those who pass the exams will be invited for an oral interview. After that, the successful ones will be hired. The recruitment process has been designed to be transparent and based on merit,” Prince Kanu said.

Prince Kanu also shared that Governor Alex Otti will launch a new educational program called ABIAFIRST on February 26, 2025. The theme of this program is “Re-imagining Education in Abia, Unleashing the Potential of Every Abia Youth.” He described this as a big step that will change education in Abia and give every child in the state better learning opportunities.

In addition, the Abia State Government has made the Igbo language a compulsory subject in schools. It will now be taught from primary school up to Senior Secondary 2 (SS2).

“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 is 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.

The Commissioner also announced that the study of History is now back in Abia schools. This change will take effect immediately. He spoke about the importance of History 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 that we are proud of. We intend to teach our children and future generations about our history,” he stated.

Adding to this, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, explained that while History was made compulsory in the past, much of what was taught repeated what students already learned in 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 in place. But one good thing is that the state has the right to adjust a curriculum as it suits us. So, we are going to modify the curriculum to include historical facts about our people. A child who completes secondary education should be able to understand the basic history that makes Igbos unique,” Elder Ubochi said.

Regarding the recruitment of teachers, Elder Ubochi shared that Governor Alex Otti has approved an increase in the number of teachers to be employed. Initially, the government planned to hire 2,500 teachers, but that number has now been raised to 5,000.

“Last time I was here, I told you that the State Executive Council had approved the recruitment of 2,500 teachers. Today, after reviewing the number of children coming into our schools because of free and compulsory education, we asked the Governor to allow us to recruit more teachers. By the time we finish this process, about 5,000 teachers will be employed,” he assured.

During the press briefing, other government officials were also present. These included the Special Adviser to the Governor on Monitoring and Evaluation, Mazi Ugochukwu Okoroafor, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Citizen Ukoha Njoku Ukoha.

Meanwhile, the Abia teachers recruitment portal was open not long ago.