Abia State government has announced that it will be an offence for parents who fail to send their children to school, effective January 1, 2025.

This directive was revealed by the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, during a briefing at the Government House in Umuahia, following the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.

Kanu emphasized that the policy, part of ongoing educational reforms in the state, aims to eliminate poverty as an excuse for not sending children to school, citing the free and basic education offered up to the end of Junior Secondary School.

He further warned that parents who do not comply with this policy will face prosecution under the Abia State Child’s Law 2006. The government’s initiative underscores the commitment to ensuring every child in Abia State receives an education.