Abia State Governor Alex Otti says his administration has repaid more than N90 billion of the state's debt since taking office in 2023, cutting the state's debt stock from N147.2 billion to N48.6 billion as at the second quarter of 2026. What the governor disclosed Otti made the disclosure during his monthly media chat held at the Michael Okpara Auditorium in Umuahia on Friday night. Punch reports that he traced the state's debt to N147.2 billion as at the second quarter of 2023, and said the figure declined to N48.6 billion as at the second quarter of 2026, meaning more than N90 billion has been cleared in three years. Gazette and Daily Nigerian also reported the disclosure, each citing the media chat. The governor noted that the starting figure did not include debts that were not reported to the Debt Management Office, such as pensions and salary arrears, which separate reconciliation exercises have sought to address. Why Abia's debt story matters Abia entered 2023 as one of the states with a heavy debt burden relative to its revenue, compounded by years of unpaid pensions and salaries that became a defining grievance in the state. Otti made debt clearance and worker welfare a centrepiece of his administration's pitch, and the numbers he now cites are the evidence base for that claim. The repayment record matters beyond Abia because it demonstrates a fiscal path available to Nigerian states: devote a sustained share of internally generated revenue and federal allocations to debt service rather than to new borrowing, and the stock falls. Abia's rising IGR, driven by enforcement of tax compliance and digitisation of revenue collection, is what made N90 billion of repayment possible without stalling development spending. The questions that remain Independent verification of the figures will come from the Debt Management Office and the National Bureau of Statistics' state debt profiles, which publish quarterly. Critics will also ask what was traded off: capital projects deferred, contractors owed, or social spending squeezed to hit the repayment pace. The governor's opponents within Abia politics have consistently argued the administration's accounting deserves closer scrutiny, and the media chat was in part a response to that pressure. Pensions and salary arrears sit outside the DMO-reported figure, and their resolution remains a live promise. How completely those legacy obligations are cleared will shape the final verdict on the administration's fiscal record more than the headline debt number. What it means for Abia voters With the 2027 elections approaching, fiscal performance is becoming the core of Abia's political argument. A state that has cut its debt by more than 60 percent has more room to borrow for infrastructure if it chooses, and more credibility when it asks residents to pay taxes. The test for the remaining two years is converting that fiscal space into visible infrastructure and services in Aba, Umuahia and beyond. Sources: This report was verified against Punch (punchng.com), Gazette (gazettengr.com) and Daily Nigerian (dailynigerian.com), each independently reporting the governor's disclosure at his monthly media chat. Frequently asked questions How much debt has Abia repaid? Over N90 billion since 2023, according to Governor Alex Otti. What is Abia's debt stock now? N48.6 billion as at the second quarter of 2026, down from N147.2 billion in the second quarter of 2023. Where did Otti make the disclosure? At his monthly media chat at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, on Friday night. Does the figure include pension arrears? The governor noted the starting figure excluded debts not reported to the Debt Management Office, such as pensions and salary arrears. |
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