Emetu Pledges Government Support as Abia Secures Hosting Rights for PAN’s 2027 National Conference

Emetu Pledges Government Support as Abia Secures Hosting Rights for PAN’s 2027 National Conference

Abia State Deputy Governor, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, has assured the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) of the state government’s commitment to providing financial and logistical support for the successful hosting of the Association’s 58th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference (PANConf) in Umuahia in April 2027.

Emetu gave the assurance when members of the PANConf 2027 Local Organising Committee (LOC), led by its Chairman, Dr. Oluchi Mildred Izuka, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Umuahia.

He said the administration of Governor Alex Otti was determined to support initiatives that promote healthcare development and position Abia as a preferred destination for major national events.

According to the Deputy Governor, the growing number of professional bodies choosing Abia as the venue for their conferences reflects the remarkable transformation taking place across the state.

“The development going on in Abia has made the state attractive for national conferences. It is a positive challenge that we are happy to embrace,” he said.

Emetu noted that recent national conferences hosted in the state by professional organisations, including the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, the Nigerian Bar Association and the Nigerian Institute of Safety Professionals, underscored Abia’s rising profile as a conference destination.

Responding to the association’s request for government assistance, he said the timing of the proposal would enable the state to make adequate budgetary provisions ahead of the 2027 event.
He disclosed that he would immediately forward the request to Governor Alex Otti and the Commissioner for Health to ensure that the conference is accommodated in the 2027 budget.

“I will minute the proposal to His Excellency and also to the Honourable Commissioner for Health so that it can be captured in the 2027 budget. Government will certainly support PAN in hosting this important conference,” Emetu said.

The Deputy Governor also urged the association to collaborate closely with the Abia State Primary Health Care Development Agency and health authorities across the state’s 17 local government areas to maximise the impact of its planned capacity-building programmes, particularly in strengthening paediatric healthcare at the grassroots.

Earlier, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Dr. Oluchi Mildred Izuka, announced that Abia had, for the first time in the 57-year history of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, won the bid to host the association’s flagship conference

She described the achievement as a reflection of the growing national confidence in the state’s progress, especially in infrastructure, healthcare and security under the present administration.

“For 57 years, Abia had never secured the hosting rights for this conference. Winning the bid demonstrates the confidence Nigerians now have in the transformation taking place in the state,” she said.

Dr. Izuka said the five-day conference would hold from April 19 to 23, 2027, and is expected to attract more than 1,000 paediatricians, healthcare professionals and delegates from across Nigeria and other countries.

She explained that the first two days of the conference would feature pre-conference workshops, including Helping Babies Breathe and Neonatal Resuscitation Training for over 200 Community Health Extension Workers as part of PAN’s free capacity-building support for the host state.

According to her, health workers in secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities will also benefit from Basic Life Support and Paediatric Advanced Life Support training programmes.

She added that the conference would provide Abia with an opportunity to showcase its peaceful environment, tourism potential, rich cultural heritage and the globally recognised Made-in-Aba products to participants from across the country.

Dr. Izuka also presented the conference budget to the Deputy Governor, requesting financial and logistical support from the state government towards hosting a successful event.

Also Speaking , the Secretary of the Local Organising Committee, Dr. Alex Nwosu, thanked the Deputy Governor for the warm reception and commended the administration’s developmental strides, which he said had enhanced Abia’s image nationwide.

He recalled that the announcement of Abia’s successful bid in Abeokuta in January generated widespread excitement among members of the association, many of whom were eager to witness firsthand the transformation taking place in the state.

The meeting was attended by aides to the Deputy Governor, Directors of Administration and Protocol, and members of the PANConf 2027 Local Organising Committee

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