FOLUR-NG in Collaboration with Cross River Govt. Flag-off Tree Crop Seedlings Distribution across the State

Iloke Egbe 

The Food Systems Land-use and Restoration Project in Nigeria  (FOLUR-NG) in collaboration with Cross River State Government has commenced free distribution of timber and fruit tree seedlings to farmers in the State, 

Flagging off the event at Akamkpa Council Secretariat Complex Akamkpa.The Chairman of Council Hon. Felix Akposi represented by the Vice Chairman Hon. Emilia Katame acknowledged the privileges the Local Government enjoys under the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and His Excellency Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu for carrying the LGA along in many interventions. 

She called on the State and Federal Government to do more while admonishing beneficiary farmers to protect the seedlings as it has so much economic value to add to individual income and will directly restore the land.

Hon. Katame expressed strong belief that with the support of FOLUR-NG and cooperation of farmers the degraded forest can be restored to near nature. 

In his goodwill message, the Commissioner, Ministry of International Donor Coordination Elder Dr. Hippolatus Ogar Lukpata reminder Stakeholders that lives depend so much on the forest, therefore, they have obligations to protect the forest and the environment through restoration activities while appreciating the goodwill of the Governor His Excellency Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu to Cross Riverians. He reiterated that the emergence of the Governor at this time in the history of the State was divine, adding that to the glory of God, this present administration has turned things around for the good of Cross Riverians.

Welcoming participants and stakeholders to the event, the State project Coordinator FOLUR-NG Mr. Cletus Ogbidi admonished beneficiaries to take the gesture very seriously as a lot has been committed to the programme which is aimed at restoring the land and to empower farmers more economically to reduce pressure on the forest. He informed that no farmer is expected to pay a dime for the seedlings, and extend his appreciation to the State Governor, the Commissioner MIDC, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations(UN-FAO) including the host community.

Speaking on the programme overview, the FOLUR-NG Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Dr. Charles Ojong Nkpena informed that the programme started in 2024 and  encourages farmers to integrate fruits and timber trees into their existing or new palm and Cocoa estates, that even if they can't benefit from it, their children and grandchildren shall benefit and it will help restore our degraded forest ecosystem, that if the exercise is taken more seriously, in the next 10 years they shall be  improved climate as well as food and income security.

Adding his voice, the chairman, Cross River State Forestry Commission, RT. Hon. George O'beneche represented by the Director Forestry Commission Dr. Donatus Adie took time to commend MIDC for their coordination efforts, and FOLUR-NG for the support to farmers while asserting that restoration is part of our old tradition that appears no longer appealing to the present generation, that the trees selected for the restoration programme has a lot of economic value to the society.

 The Head of Akamkpa Local Government Administration Dr. Obal Essang also admitted that the benefits associated with ecosystem restoration cannot be overemphasized and tasked  farmers to take the opportunity seriously.

Some of the seedlings distributed were timber trees seedlings, fruit trees seedlings, agroforestry seedlings and other species. Dignitaries in attendance were traditional rulers from different communities, members of Akamkpa LGC legislature, members of farmers field and business schools from different communities and a representative of the Conservator of the Cross River National Park.

CR' Govt, UNICEF Conduct 2026 Mid-Year State Development Plan Implementation Review

By Iloke Egbe

The Cross River State Government, in collaboration with UNICEF, has successfully conducted the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Performance and State Development Plan Implementation Review to assess progress and ensure budget implementation remains aligned with the State Development Plan and the government's development mantra.

The review, coordinated by the Cross River State Planning Commission, brought together key stakeholders from the State Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Justice, Office of the Accountant-General, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Women Affairs, Bureau of Public-Private Partnership, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Economic Development and Planning, MEDA, Ministry of Aquaculture, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Mineral Resources.

Declaring the event open at Dannic Hotel, Ekorinim, Calabar, the Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of Cross River State Planning Commission, Pastor Dr. Bong Duke, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Mr. Kingsley Ndem Eyibio, expressed satisfaction with the impressive turnout of stakeholders.

He noted that the participation of critical stakeholders, many of whom had been involved since the inception of the planning process, would ensure that the outcome reflects a collective position capable of supporting the Government in implementing people-centred policies and programmes.

Mr. Eyibio further explained that most of the programmes under the State Development Plan have 2026 as their implementation deadline. He stressed that the mid-year review was essential to evaluate progress, identify implementation challenges, assess achievements, draw lessons learnt, and develop strategies for improved performance in the remaining implementation period.

Highlights of the review included presentations on the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Performance across key sectors such as Health, Education, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Social Protection. In an interview, Participants also reviewed the implementation status of the State Development Plan and commended State Planning Commission for their coordination strides and UNICEF for their valuable support.

Discussions on Result Area One focused on strengthening governance through accountability, transparency, and effective service delivery. Result Area Two examined strategies for improving the economy by strengthening agriculture, tourism, solid minerals, manufacturing, and service industries, while Result Area Three addressed environmental sustainability and the promotion of a clean and green environment for present and future generations.

The technical sessions were facilitated by the State Director of Planning, Mrs. Charity Ayara, while Dr. Obono Ofem and Dr. Maureen Zubie-Okolo, both Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists, anchored the plenary sessions.

The event was attended by across section of Permanent Secretaries, Directors of Planning, Research and Statistics, as well as officers from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) across the State.

Acceptance of Nomination to the UNICROSS Technical Committee

By Inyali Peter 

I am deeply honoured to have been named among the seven-member Technical Committee constituted to review the working environment at the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) and proffer actionable recommendations to address the challenges confronting the institution. The nomination was announced by His Excellency, Governor Bassey Otu, through a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh.

I wish to express my gratitude to the Governor and Visitor to the university for the confidence reposed in me and my fellow committee members. This appointment is one I accept with a deep sense of responsibility, and I give my firm commitment to discharge this assignment with the highest standards of integrity, diligence, and fairness that the task demands.

It bears acknowledging that no administration in recent memory has demonstrated as deliberate and sustained a commitment to resolving the longstanding challenges facing UNICROSS as the Otu administration. From the implementation of the new minimum wage and enforcement of the local government one percent deduction, to the release of bailout funds to ensure the prompt and consistent payment of staff salaries, this administration has put the welfare of university workers at the heart of its agenda. Equally pertinent is the approval of several infrastructural development projects across the campuses of the institution, a clear proof to the Governor’s vision for a thriving institution.

I also wish to commend the Vice Chancellor,  Prof. Francisca Bassey for her leadership, enthusiasm, and patriotism, which have been instrumental in restoring the confidence of the government in the institution’s management. Her stewardship has, without question, created the enabling environment for the level of governmental attention and investment that UNICROSS is currently receiving.

I call on all staff, students, and stakeholders of UNICROSS to extend their full cooperation and support to the committee. Together, we have an opportunity to chart a course that serves the best interests of every member of the university community. We shall not take that trust for granted.

Okuku Market: The Goldmine We Left in Ruins

By Inyali Peter 

There is a particular smell that children of traders in Northern Cross River never forget. The smell of dried croaker fish wrapped in old newspaper. The smell of new green keysoap wrapped in paper. The smell of money well spent on a good market day. That smell, for many of us, is forever tied to one name, the famous Okuku market, located in Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State.

My father was a peasant farmer and a groundnut trader. Not a wealthy man by any definition, but a hardworking one. His business revolved around two markets, the Utugwang main market closer to home, and the legendary Okuku market. Whenever he returned from Okuku, our household celebrated. There was food with dried fish. There was soap to wash school uniforms and church clothes. Occasionally, there were new slippers that we proudly wore beyond the bathroom. Okuku market days were celebration days in our home, and in thousands of homes just like ours across Northern Cross River.

The market was not merely a commercial hub. It was an economic engine, a cultural landmark, and for many communities in the area, the closest thing to a guaranteed income. Traders came from across Nigeria and beyond to buy and sell food items and quality fairly-used (Okrika) clothing. On market days, hotels in Ogoja filled up. Restaurants recorded their best sales of the week. Bus and motorcycle operators doubled their income. Churches received more in tithes and offerings because people had more in their pockets. Government collected more taxes. The market did not just sustain traders. It boosted the entire local economy.

This is not sentiment. Markets of this scale are documented economic multipliers. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), well-structured market infrastructure in West Africa can increase rural household incomes by as much as 30 percent and greatly reduce post-harvest losses for smallholder farmers. The International Finance Corporation estimates that every dollar invested in market infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa generates up to four dollars in broader economic activity. Okuku was living proof of these numbers before the economists even wrote them down.

At its peak, Okuku market was the commercial heartbeat of Northern Cross River. Today, it is a shadow of all that. Poor road conditions and severe erosion gradually choked the life out of it. Structures were destroyed. Access became dangerous. Traders who once made the journey from Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Cameroun and beyond stopped coming, not because there was nothing to buy or sell, but because the road would not let them. One infrastructure failure dismantled decades of organic economic growth that no government policy had built, but one of negligence was able to destroy.

For 27 years since the return of democracy in 1999, successive administrations in Cross River have largely failed to invest meaningfully in market infrastructure as a deliberate economic strategy. While driving through the Abuja-Keffi road last week, I saw what Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has done with the Ado market; a gleaming, ultramodern facility designed to attract commerce, dignity and investment. Several states across the country have made similar commitments, understanding that a modern market is not a luxury. It is a statement of governmental seriousness about economic development.

The world’s most visited cities understand something our governments have been slow to grasp; great markets are tourist attractions. The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul draws over 40 million visitors annually. Chatuchak Market in Bangkok is one of Thailand’s top three tourist destinations. Bopolu Market in Liberia, once revived with external investment, became a rallying point for post-conflict economic recovery. Closer to home, Onitsha Main Market remains one of the largest markets in Africa and a significant contributor to Anambra’s IGR. 

Cross River State, which proudly markets itself as Nigeria’s premier tourism destination, should understand this better than anyone. A revived and ultramodern Okuku market would not compete with tourist destinations like the Tinapa, Agbokim Waterfall or Obudu Mountain Resort, it would complement them. It will draw traders, tourists and investors and keeping them in the state longer.

Reviving Okuku is important, but it should not stop there. The North has Okuku. The Central district has the famous Okundi market in Boki. The South has the iconic Fish Market in Calabar South. Each carries history, identity and untapped economic weight. A coordinated investment by the state government, backed by federal support and private sector partnerships to transform one flagship market in each senatorial district would be nothing short of revolutionary. Not just economically, but psychologically. It would send a clear message to rural communities that their commerce matters and that development is not only meant for the state capital.

The ask is not extraordinary. It is basic governance. Fix the roads connecting Okuku and its surrounding communities. Commission an engineering assessment of erosion damage and begin immediate remediation. The AfDB has urban infrastructure programmes that government can tap into for funding. Private developers can be invited through Public-Private Partnership frameworks to co-fund and manage facilities in exchange for structured commercial leases. 

Moreso, here is an opportunity too obvious to ignore. Sen. John Owan Enoh, Cross River’s own Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment sits in Abuja. The state government should be working that relationship aggressively to position Cross River as a major beneficiary of national market development initiatives. Brand the revived Okuku, Okundi and Fish markets as tourism and commerce destinations. Promote them at trade fairs. Put them on the state’s tourism calendar.

My father is gone now. But the memory of him returning from Okuku market with dried fish, keysoap, a pair of slippers and Okrika clothes lives on; not just in me, but in thousands of people across Northern Cross River who grew up knowing that market as the heartbeat of their local economy. That heartbeat has weakened. But it has not stopped. 

Governments are elected to invest in the things that ordinary people cannot build for themselves. Cross River’s leaders, at local, state and federal levels owe it to the traders, farmers, transporters and families who built their lives around that market to bring it back. A modern market pays for itself through taxes, levies, tourism revenue and the larger economic activity it generates. The question is not whether Cross River can afford to revive Okuku. The question is whether Cross River can afford not to.

*-Inyali Peter, Ph.D.*

Let's Continue to Work as A System and Leverage on Partners Experiences for the Growth of the State - Dr. Lukpata

Iloke Egbe 

The Commissioner, Ministry of International Donor Coordination, Elder Dr. Hippolatus Lukpata has charged development partners in the State to continue Synergizing as a system for the growth of the State, adding that the approach is good as it will reduce publication of interventions at one area  and promote even development.

He emphasized that the government of Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu places priority in the activities of development partners in the State and very much ready to give attention and create a more enabling environment for the smooth operation of partners in the area of their interventions.

He reiterated that when a request is made in respect of drawdown from partners, it's not intended to investigate or audit any partners rather, it's meant for the Government to know how much your programme has brought for the development of the State and it also serves as to the viability of the Programme or project. 

According to him in the future when some of these interventions must have ended there may be a need for a reflection, therefore, it's important that reports are sent to MIDC in respect of financial releases from funders and their annual operational plan.

Earlier, the alternate chairman for the month of June 2026 Chief Henry Egbelo used the occasion to admonish partners on the importance of the meeting urging them to prioritize time and ensure that the needed cooperation is extended timely to serve the right purpose, adding that the meet helps in experience sharing which promote efficiency in programme implementation. 

He expressed delight with the attendance and the tempo of coordination anchored by MIDC which has built confidence in partners and has produced positive results for the State as partners now understand and see the importance of attending the meetings given the way they remain intact during proceedings with grudging about the time spent.

Highlights of the event was a closure report presented by the United kingdom Partnership for Accelerated Climate Transition (UK-PACT) and progress report presented by International Fund for Agricultural Development Assisted Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger-Delta (IFAD-Life ND), Livelihood Improvement Public Workfare (LIPW) and Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration Impact Project (FOLUR-IP). 

A total of thirty eight development partners representing international and national organizations including non-governmental organizations and Civil Society Organizations, relevant Ministries Departments and Agencies were in attendance.

Our Target is to be the Best implementing State in Nigeria Under NG-CARES 2.0 - Chief Henry Egbelo

Iloke Egbe 

The State Coordinator, Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economy  Stimulus NG-CARES, Chief Henry Egbelo has unveiled his target for the NG-CARES programme in the State, that only the first three positions are good for the State.

He disclosed this during an enlarged meeting of Heads of delivery platforms and Technical Staff of all  projects under NG-CARES held at the State Cares Coordinating office, 31/32 school road State Housing Estate Calabar. He affirmed that under his coordination only the first and second position in Nigeria is preferred for the State, this he said is achievable and encouraged Staff to gear up for the task ahead.

Speaking on the strategies to achieve the sets target, Mr Henry asserted that improving Staff welfare is cardinal to achieving the desired results for the State given that the State secured a favourable position and it's leading in southern Nigeria.

He admitted that given the competence and capabilities of Staff, and their track records across the delivery platforms what is required is  proper motivation march with the required technology and satisfactory results can be achieved. 

He charged heads of delivery platforms to monitor their Staff and ensure that they perform their duties according to timelines while assuring that support will be extended to Staff in terms of required work equipment which will enhance effective and efficient service delivery.

He further alluded that the issues of training, laptops, logistics and team bonding are essential for collective growth and the enabling environment will be provided to further boost Staff morale in regards to their job schedules and performance.

In an interview with some of the participants, Dr Innocent Odey, accountant with NG-CARES expressed satisfaction with the tempo of the engagement citing the attendance, the rubost agenda and comportment from Staff which speaks volume about the success of the meeting, adding that more good times are coming and the rewards for hard work is more work.

Adding her voice, Dr. Mrs Esther Awa from Community and Social Development Agency also expressed excitement stating that the meeting is very important as it is viewed as a significant milestone in the success of the Programme from the national office. While the Head of Operations, SOCU Mr Godwin Ador simply pointed out that the outcome from meeting and the ambience is an indication that NG-CARES 2.0 would be far better than I.0.

Highlights of the meeting was the presentation of report by Heads of delivery platforms under the NG-CARES. In attendance were all Heads of projects and all Technical Staff in different platforms under NG-CARES.

GOV OTU INAUGURATES APC RECONCILIATION COMMITTEES FOR SOUTH, CENTRAL AND NORTHERN SENATORIAL DISTRICTS

Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) Reconciliation Committees for the Southern, Central and Northern Senatorial Districts of the state.

The committees were constituted to engage with party members, assuage the feelings of aspirants and their supporters who were unsuccessful in the recently concluded party primaries, and foster unity ahead of future political engagements, including the 2027 General Elections.

Governor Otu emphasised the importance of reconciliation, inclusiveness and party cohesion, noting that the APC remains one family whose collective interest must supersede individual ambitions. He charged members of the committees to carry out their assignment with fairness, sincerity and a commitment to strengthening the party across the state and announced that as a start, the party will commence immediate refunds to all aspirants for both the National Assembly and State Assembly.

The composition of the committees remains as follows:

Southern Senatorial District

- High Chief Edem Duke – Chairman

- Hon. Ekpo Ekpo Bassey – Member

- Sir William Archibong – Member

- Prof. Paul Itari – Member

- Mrs. Kate Okon – Member

- Dr. David Okon – Member

- Engr. Effiong Bassey – Secretary

Central Senatorial District

- Chief Ebuta Ayuk – Chairman

- Elder Bolaji Anani – Member

- Prof. Anim Ajake – Member

- Prof. John Inyang – Member

- Chief Barr. George Ekpungu – Member

- Prof. Alice Ekwu – Member

- Barr. Bassey Okim – Secretary

Northern Senatorial District

- H.E. Larry Odey – Chairman

- Chief Signor Omang Idiege – Member

- Chief Tony Udiandeye – Member

- Hon. Rita Ayim – Member

- Hon. Paddy Ogar – Member

- Hon. Maurice Evey – Member

- Barr. Mike Aniah – Secretary