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  • Thursday, May 28, 2026
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CITY TIMES ONLINE CITY TIMES ONLINE - CITY TIMES ONLINE

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  • Governor Otti Unveils Major Plans For Entertainment Village In Abia
  • ABIA SETS TO LAUNCH STATE MSME ENTREPRISES, MOVES TO ESTABLISH CITIZENS’ CONTACT CENTRE
CITY TIMES ONLINE
NATIONAL NEWS

SmartAIRS Wins National Recognition at South East Venture Capital Pitch Competition A major milestone has been recorded for Abia State’s growing technology…

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu May 28, 2026 0
NATIONAL NEWS

Gov. Otti Commissions Umuahia Central Bus Terminal, Names It After…

NATIONAL NEWS

GOODWILL MESSAGE TO GOVERNOR ALEX CHIOMA OTTI, OFR, ON HIS THIRD…

NATIONAL NEWS

Anyaso Commends Otti on Prof. Nnenna Oti Bus Terminal in Umuahia

NATIONAL NEWS

Governor Otti Commissions 13 Completed Road Projects, Flags-Off…

Abia local council beef up war against drug abuse, insecurity, scales up youth empowerment programs

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu May 27, 2026 0
Abia local council beef up war against drug abuse, insecurity, scales up youth empowerment programs Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia The Chairman Umuahia…

Governor Otti Performs Groundbreaking Ceremony Of OKPUALA Ngwa General Hospital, Commissions Roads,…

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu May 26, 2026 0
Governor Otti Performs Groundbreaking Ceremony Of OKPUALA Ngwa General Hospital, Commissions Roads, Cottage Hospital

BREAKING: Hope For Men Battling Enlarged Prostate As New Laser Technology Arrives Nigeria

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu May 26, 2026 0
BREAKING: Hope For Men Battling Enlarged Prostate As New Laser Technology Arrives Nigeria A new breakthrough in the treatment of enlarged prostate has…

IKOH SUBMITS PETITION TO APC GOVERNORSHIP APPEAL COMMITTEE, REJECTS DECLARATION OF ERIC OPIAH AS…

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu May 25, 2026 0
IKOH SUBMITS PETITION TO APC GOVERNORSHIP APPEAL COMMITTEE, REJECTS DECLARATION OF ERIC OPIAH AS WINNER Former Minister of State for Science and…

South East Will Benefit More Under Atiku’s Presidency – Akobundu

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu May 25, 2026 0
South East Will Benefit More Under Atiku’s Presidency - Akobundu Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia The Senator representing the Abia Central senatorial…

Otti Launches N306m NKATA Technology Grant To Drive Digital Transformation in Abia

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu May 25, 2026 0
Otti Launches N306m NKATA Technology Grant To Drive Digital Transformation in Abia Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia The Abia State Governor Alex Otti has…

Group Urges IGP to Call Former Police Monitoring Unit Head Akin Fakorede to Order Over Alleged…

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu May 25, 2026 0
Group Urges IGP to Call Former Police Monitoring Unit Head Akin Fakorede to Order Over Alleged Interference in Okon-Aku Community Crisis A Group under the…

Tinubu wins APC Presidential Primary election in Abia

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu May 25, 2026 0
Tinubu wins APC Presidential Primary election in Abia President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has won the APC Presidential Primary election in Abia State‌. Announ…

Governor Otti Flags-Off Ecumenical Centre In Umuahia, Says It will Not Be Funded By Government

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu May 25, 2026 0
Governor Otti Flags-Off Ecumenical Centre In Umuahia, Says It will Not Be Funded By Government As part of activities marking the third anniversary of the…

Abia City Boy Movement congratulates President Tinubu for winning APC primary election

Ogbonnaya Ikokwu May 24, 2026 0
Abia City Boy Movement congratulates President Tinubu for winning APC primary election The Director of the City Boy Movement, Abia State Chapter, Mayor…
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Recent Posts
  • SmartAIRS Wins National Recognition at South East Venture Capital Pitch Competition A major milestone has been recorded for Abia State’s growing technology ecosystem as SmartAIRS, a GovTech company headquartered in Umuahia, emerged among the recognized startups at the inaugural South East Venture Capital Programme (SEVCP) Pitch Competition organized by the South East Development Commission (SEDC). The prestigious innovation and investment programme, held between May 25 and 26, 2026, at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, attracted over 1,200 startups and ventures from across Nigeria, making it one of the biggest innovation gatherings ever hosted in Southeast Nigeria. Following a rigorous month-long selection and evaluation process handled by leading figures within Nigeria’s technology, venture capital, and innovation ecosystem, SmartAIRS successfully earned recognition on the national stage for its innovative GovTech infrastructure solution designed to modernize revenue administration and digital governance across Africa. The event attracted top national leaders, policymakers, investors, and executives from Nigeria’s technology and investment ecosystem. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was represented at the programme by the Coordinating Minister for Finance, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, while representatives of Southeast state governments, members of the National Assembly, heads of financial institutions, and leaders of major innovation organizations were also in attendance. Among organizations represented at the event were MTN, Flutterwave, Andela, Ventures Platform, Ubulu Africa, Rise, Cascador, and several other prominent technology and investment institutions. Representing SmartAIRS during the pitch session was the Founder and Chief Operating Officer of the company, Dr. Pastra Arinze Etie, who delivered a compelling presentation positioning SmartAIRS as an intelligent revenue infrastructure platform built to improve transparency, compliance, automation, and operational efficiency within African government revenue systems. During the presentation, the company highlighted the urgent need for transparent digital revenue systems, real-time monitoring, automated compliance infrastructure, connected payment systems, and intelligent public sector operational tools. Observers at the event described the response from judges, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders as highly encouraging, especially given the growing importance of scalable GovTech infrastructure capable of addressing institutional and governance challenges across Africa. One of the major highlights of the recognition was the fact that SmartAIRS was conceived, designed, and developed in Umuahia, Abia State — a development many participants described as a proud moment for the state and the wider Southeast innovation ecosystem. SmartAIRS is designed as an end-to-end intelligent revenue infrastructure platform connecting governments, businesses, and citizens through a unified digital operational system. For governments, the platform provides tools for digital enumeration, automated revenue collection, payment processing, reconciliation, compliance monitoring, operational intelligence, enforcement systems, and real-time reporting. For businesses, the system simplifies compliance processes by integrating banks, vendors, payment systems, and government operations into one unified framework. For citizens, the platform offers self-service digital access, payment capabilities, guided support systems, and an AI-powered tax support assistant known as SmartAssist. Speaking on the recognition, Dr. Pastra Arinze Etie Etie described the achievement as proof that globally competitive technology solutions can emerge from Southeast Nigeria. “This is proof that world-class technology can be built from Southeast Nigeria — from Umuahia — and compete at the highest level. We built SmartAIRS to help governments operate more transparently, businesses comply more easily, and citizens access services more efficiently,” he stated. The recognition was formally endorsed through an official certificate issued by the South East Development Commission and signed by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SEDC, Mark Okoye. Industry observers say the achievement signals the growing strength of Southeast Nigeria’s technology ecosystem and reinforces the region’s potential as a hub for scalable digital innovation and enterprise development. The South East Venture Capital Programme is backed by a $50 million blended finance initiative aimed at supporting high-potential ventures capable of driving sustainable economic growth, innovation, and institutional transformation across the Southeast region. With the latest recognition, SmartAIRS says it remains focused on expanding intelligent revenue infrastructure solutions for African governments while advancing transparency, accountability, operational efficiency, and digital governance across the continent. May 28, 2026
  • Gov. Otti Commissions Umuahia Central Bus Terminal, Names It After Prof Nnenna Oti May 28, 2026
  • GOODWILL MESSAGE TO GOVERNOR ALEX CHIOMA OTTI, OFR, ON HIS THIRD ANNIVERSARY IN OFFICE May 27, 2026
  • Anyaso Commends Otti on Prof. Nnenna Oti Bus Terminal in Umuahia May 27, 2026
  • Governor Otti Commissions 13 Completed Road Projects, Flags-Off Construction Of Aba Ring Road May 27, 2026
  • Abia local council beef up war against drug abuse, insecurity, scales up youth empowerment programs May 27, 2026
  • Governor Otti Performs Groundbreaking Ceremony Of OKPUALA Ngwa General Hospital, Commissions Roads, Cottage Hospital May 26, 2026
  • BREAKING: Hope For Men Battling Enlarged Prostate As New Laser Technology Arrives Nigeria May 26, 2026
  • IKOH SUBMITS PETITION TO APC GOVERNORSHIP APPEAL COMMITTEE, REJECTS DECLARATION OF ERIC OPIAH AS WINNER May 25, 2026
  • South East Will Benefit More Under Atiku’s Presidency – Akobundu May 25, 2026
  • Otti Launches N306m NKATA Technology Grant To Drive Digital Transformation in Abia May 25, 2026
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  • Front Page
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  • CRIME
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  • Governor Otti Unveils Major Plans For Entertainment Village In Abia
  • ABIA SETS TO LAUNCH STATE MSME ENTREPRISES, MOVES TO ESTABLISH CITIZENS’ CONTACT CENTRE

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