The Cross River State Authorities has unveiled a complete blueprint for financial transformation, urging buyers, significantly from the African diaspora, to faucet into the state’s huge potential in agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure.
The enchantment was made in the course of the International United Christian Congress of Africa and the Diaspora (GUCCAD) Funding Discussion board, held in Calabar on Wednesday, the place the state assured potential buyers of safety, stability, and excessive returns.
Delivering the keynote deal with, Governor Bassey Otu underscored Cross River’s strategic benefits, citing its expansive 20,156 km² land space, a inhabitants of 4.4 million, and what he described as a “near-zero crime fee.”
“With our serene surroundings and plentiful assets, Cross River State is a perfect funding hub,” Otu mentioned.
He highlighted alternatives throughout key sectors, significantly agriculture, the place the state’s local weather helps large-scale cultivation of cocoa, palm oil, rubber, and rice.
The governor additionally unveiled plans to develop the state’s forest reserves by 50% inside three years, reinforcing Cross River’s “Clear and Inexperienced” dedication.
On mining and renewable vitality, Otu recognized the provision of granite, limestone, barite, and manganese, and invited buyers to discover alternatives in mineral extraction and inexperienced vitality part manufacturing, together with photo voltaic panel manufacturing.
He additional spotlighted main infrastructure initiatives such because the proposed Bakassi Deep Sea Port and the continuing Obudu Cargo and Passenger Airport as transformative ventures able to redefining the state’s financial panorama.
Within the tourism sector, the governor referred to as for personal funding by Public-Non-public Partnerships (PPP) to revitalise key sights just like the Obudu Mountain Resort, Tinapa Enterprise Resort, and Carnival Calabar.
Reinforcing the governor’s imaginative and prescient, Vice Chairman of the Cross River State Planning Fee, Dr. Bong Duke, made a compelling case in his presentation titled “Make investments Cross River.” He outlined a three-pillar technique aimed toward driving sustainable financial progress.
The primary pillar, “Agro-Industrial Revolution,” promotes funding in value-added processing, linking international buyers with native farmers. “We would like our cocoa to go away our shores as chocolate, not as uncooked seeds,” Duke emphasised.
The second pillar, “Aviation and Tourism: The Gateway Expertise,” focuses on enhancing the Calabar Worldwide Airport and making a logistics park. Duke additionally introduced the launch of two new Cally Air plane, describing it as a “important milestone” for the state’s aviation sector.
The third pillar, “Auxiliary Industries,” encompasses renewable vitality, healthcare, training, and the digital financial system.
He pointed to the dearth of an Worldwide Baccalaureate college in southern Nigeria as a significant funding alternative.
To streamline investor engagement, Dr. Duke assured individuals of a seamless course of by the state’s “one-stop funding store,” pledging authorities assist from conception to operation.
“Don’t ship remittances. Ship your concepts,” Duke urged. “Don’t simply construct homes, construct industries. Allow us to transfer from the diaspora narrative to the developer narrative.”
Prof. Ijeoma Nwosu, Chairman of GUCCAD, counseled the state’s dedication and hospitality, noting that 18 nations had been represented on the discussion board. He predicted that participation would double by the 2026 conference, resulting in a surge of diaspora-driven investments.
Equally, Chairman of the Cross River State Diaspora Fee, Mr. Otu Okor, inspired buyers to grab the second.
“Associate with us in shaping the way forward for our financial system,” he mentioned. “Collectively, we are able to construct a affluent and thriving Cross River State.”
The occasion ended on a be aware of optimism, with each authorities officers and worldwide delegates reaffirming their shared dedication to creating Cross River a number one funding vacation spot in Africa.
