Umuahia, March 6, 2025 – The Abia State government has directed that History and Igbo language be made compulsory subjects in all secondary schools across the state, effective immediately.

Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, who disclosed this to reporters, said the decision aligns with the administration’s commitment to preserving cultural heritage and enhancing education in the state.

“As part of this policy, a new curriculum will be developed for History, while Igbo language will now be compulsory from primary school to senior secondary school to ensure students are proficient in their mother tongue,” Kanu stated.

In a related development, the state government has shut down the online teacher recruitment portal following the expiration of the application deadline. A total of 29,797 applications were received during the recruitment process, out of which 9,371 candidates have been shortlisted for the next stage of the selection process.

Kanu confirmed that 5,000 successful applicants will eventually be employed to meet the rising enrollment in public schools, which has witnessed an astronomical increase in recent times.

“The recruitment is part of Governor Alex Otti’s effort to strengthen the education sector by ensuring adequate and qualified teachers are available in public schools,” Kanu added.

With this move, Abia joins a growing number of states prioritizing indigenous language and history education as part of efforts to promote cultural identity and improve learning outcomes among students.