Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU), is set for a major transformation with the recruitment of nearly 300 new academic staff, the construction of two 5,000-bed capacity hostels for male and female students, and the approval of long-awaited promotions for both teaching and non-teaching staff.
The developments were disclosed by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Rt. Hon. Agwu U. Agwu, PhD, during a weekend media chat following the Council’s second regular meeting since its inauguration in March 2025. The session, which was the 158th Governing Council meeting in the university’s history, was attended by Vice Chancellor Professor Ndukwe J. Okeudo and other council members.
Agwu, a former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, explained that the institution, which is more than 40 years old, is preparing to admit about 10,000 new students in the next academic cycle, raising its population from 20,000 to 30,000.
He emphasized that the council’s decision to approve promotions for professors, readers, senior lecturers, and senior non-teaching staff—many of whom had been stagnant for four to five years—will be officially announced on Monday, September 1, 2025. He said the move would put smiles on the faces of the university workforce and reinforce ongoing industrial harmony.
The Pro-Chancellor attributed the current industrial peace at ABSU to the intervention of Governor Alex Otti, the university’s Visitor, who has addressed many of the grievances that previously led to strikes. These include clearing 11 months of staff salary arrears, restoring electricity and water supply, improving security, and approving ₦830 million for new engineering equipment.
“Today, ABSU has been reconnected to the national grid, students have access to clean pipe-borne water, and renovation of dilapidated hostels is nearing completion,” Agwu said. “When 90 percent of the problems that once fueled industrial action have been addressed, there is little need for unions to consider strikes.”
The Pro-Chancellor also revealed that construction is ongoing on new faculty buildings, perimeter fencing of the campus, and the award of several multimillion-naira contracts to boost infrastructure. Additionally, the previously impassable road linking ABSU to Okigwe has been rehabilitated, cutting travel time from several hours to under 10 minutes.
On the relocation of the university’s Law and Agriculture faculties from Umuahia back to the Uturu campus, Agwu noted that the process is advancing gradually, with Governor Otti personally visiting the school to ensure adequate infrastructure is in place for a smooth transition.
With these reforms, ABSU appears to be entering a new era of growth, stability, and improved academic standards under the combined efforts of the Governing Council and the state government.
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