Abia State Government has again entered into agreement with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) after the expiration of the first three-year agreement for the capacity building of officials and individuals of the state origin in different areas of training for the benefit of the state.

Speaking on the occasion, Governor Theodore Orji who signed on behalf of the state government, called on UNITAR to consider other areas of assistance in the partnership like infrastructural development, road construction and residential houses instead of limiting itself to capacity building alone.

Orji emphasized that the state will welcome organizations that are committed to the development of the state in all aspects of development, stressing that the government is determined to give the people of the state quality leadership that would improve their lives.

Governor Orji, who said capacity building is key to sustainable development, added that the state government has been faithful in its financial obligations to development partners and promised that as long as the organizations render quality and effective service the state would not renege in counterpart funding.

However, the state released N15million out of the N50 million sum total for the project as takeoff fund and acknowledged the contributions of development partners to the over all development of the state.

Country Representative of UNITAR, Dr Lawrence Boms, said the programme is designed to assist the nine states of the Niger Delta Region, adding that meanwhile only six have entered into the agreement for partnership.

He said the organisation will provide 60 per cent of the total sum of the contract, stressing that the training programme will cover several areas of the state development including conflict resolution, environmental management and compliance,disaster management, satellite programme among others.

Boms noted that with the commitment of the state government to the tune of N50million the counterpart funding from the organization would be 60 per cent, adding that the partnership will go beyond capacity building into other areas of development.

According to him, Abia would be among the states in which officials would be sent to Geneva for training in satellite imagery programme as well as in management of disasters and bio technology.