Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has announced plans to establish industrial parks in each of the state’s three senatorial districts as part of his proposed second-term development agenda, with a focus on transitioning from economic recovery to sustainable wealth creation.
Otu made the announcement in Calabar during the inauguration of the Cross River State All Progressives Congress Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He explained that the proposed industrial hubs would promote manufacturing, agro-processing and entrepreneurship, while creating employment opportunities and strengthening local production.
Reviewing his administration’s performance under the People First Agenda, the governor disclosed that the state had reduced its inherited domestic debt, which stood at over N204 billion, by more than N70 billion without securing additional loans. He put the outstanding debt at N132.3 billion as of March 2026. He also reported significant growth in internally generated revenue (IGR), which increased from N21.1 billion in 2022 to N46.3 billion in 2024.
Among the achievements highlighted by Otu were the recovery of Tinapa from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), the generation of nearly N1 billion from Etung Cocoa Estates and the restoration of Obudu Cargo Airport. He also cited the concessioning of the Garment Factory and Obudu Ranch, the expansion of Cally Air operations and the payment of outstanding gratuities after 18 years as key milestones recorded by his administration.
“Our second term will turn recovered assets into productive enterprises, complete major infrastructure projects, expand youth and agricultural programmes and establish industrial parks across the three senatorial districts,” he said.
The governor urged members of the campaign council to intensify grassroots mobilisation and communicate his administration’s achievements across the state’s 18 local government areas and 196 wards. He cautioned against abandoning an administration he said had laid the groundwork for development, declaring: “You do not change a farmer who has cleared the farm just when it is time to plant.”
In his remarks, the Director General of the Cross River State APC Campaign Council, Senator Stephen Odey, expressed confidence in the party’s prospects ahead of the 2027 elections, promising to lead an aggressive campaign that would secure victory over opposition parties.
Odey further declared his readiness to mobilise support across the state, vowing to extend the party’s campaign activities from the coastal communities of Bakassi Local Government Area to the mountainous settlements of Obanliku. He also pledged to smoke out the opposition in the state.
Similarly, the APC State Chairman, Christopher Ettah, maintained that the ruling party remained firmly positioned in Cross River State, insisting that it had no formidable opposition. However, he cautioned party members against overconfidence, internal divisions and acts of betrayal that could undermine its electoral prospects.
Ettah called on members of the campaign council to engage voters with verifiable facts about the achievements of the Otu administration, stressing the importance of presenting its performance as the basis for seeking another mandate in 2027.
