Abia Partners LaLiga, Spanish Embassy to Host Youth Sports Programme

The Abia State Government has announced a partnership with LaLiga and the Spanish Embassy in Nigeria to host LaLiga Week in Abia State, a programme aimed at developing young talent and creating global opportunities for youths through sports.

The initiative is scheduled to hold between November and December and will feature various sports activities and engagements designed to build skills and empower young people.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists in Umuahia on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti.

According to Kanu, the programme is one of the state government’s strategies for youth empowerment through sports.

He said the activities would be organised in collaboration with LaLiga and the Spanish Embassy in Nigeria.

The commissioner also disclosed that the Ministry of Youths and Sports had visited correctional centres in Aba and Umuahia as part of its welfare and rehabilitation efforts.

He explained that the outreach identified 20 inmates requiring legal aid, assistance with board-related matters, medical care and family support. The inmates are being prepared for pre-school, non-residential certificate examinations.

Kanu added that the ministry assessed skills acquisition programmes at the facilities and identified shortages of tools, equipment and materials as major obstacles to effective rehabilitation.

On healthcare, the commissioner announced plans to distribute approximately 3,003,250 insecticide-treated mosquito nets across Abia State under the 2026 Abia Mass Insecticide-Treated Net Campaign.

He said the campaign would be formally launched on Friday through a collaboration involving the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Malaria Elimination Programme and the Abia State Government, through its Ministry of Health.

Kanu also disclosed that construction had commenced on two roads in Aba before their formal flag-off ceremonies.

The roads are the 3.955-kilometre Old Express Road and the 3.09-kilometre Urata Road. Both projects are being executed under the Abia State Integrated Infrastructure Development Project, with support from the African Development Bank (ADB).

He said more ADB-supported road projects would be flagged off in due course, adding that work was ongoing at 53 direct labour locations across the state.