By Ada Nkong
Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Otu, says the state is making frantic effort to position its economy to take advantage of the increased liquidity of corridors globally
He made this known during the Cross River governors forum in Abuja. The forum with the theme, “Building Cooperation for a Better Today and Resilient Future” aimed at showcasing attractive investment opportunities in various sectors in the state to members of the diplomatic community and development partners.
Otu called on prospective investors to take full advantage of opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing, solid minerals, oil and gas, as well as hospitability to invest in the state.
According to him, the forum which aims at putting the people at the forefront in the state’s developmental agenda is the first in a series of engagements planned by the state to build strong collaborative ties with the diplomatic community and development partners towards a mutually beneficial long-term future.
The governor further noted that economies of the world are growing in interconnectedness due to globalisation, making for increased wealth creation, opportunities and fluidity in investment and cooperation funds.
“Cross River State also known as the people’s paradise is home to a constantly evolving economy with a strong history as one of the most flourishing states, original trade and diversified economies, based on abundant resources, with a strong commitment towards sustainable economic environment and social development,” he said.
The governor attributed the state’s fast-growing economy to its “strategic location with arable land suitable for a variety of crops; vast deposits of various solid minerals, beautiful mountains and forests, hospitals people with their reputation as one of the safest places to work.”
“We are building on these strategic advantages towards making the state a hotspot for tourism and businesses. With the annual Calabar carnival tagged as the biggest street party in Africa, hosting hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world.
“The state has opportunities for cooperation which cuts across sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, social development, education, social development, humanitarian services, agribusiness, commerce, industry, manufacturing, solid minerals, oil and gas and also hospitality.”
Presentations highlighting various investment opportunities were made by speakers from the state government. Dr Francis Ntamu , senior special assistant to the governor on public-private partnership and infrastructure who made a presentation on the deep sea project told journalists that this time, the project would see the light of day
” Everything about the Bakassi deep-sea port has changed positively from the point of view that for the first time we have seen in graphic terms programme and projects continuity post administration . The administration was able to adopt all what it met, the baseline understanding is that these are public funds”.
“We are excited that as an administration we are taking a look at state owned assets such as Tinapa, taking a look at Obudu international cargo airport and then seeing to its actualisation even within the first term of this administration and the same energy for the Bakassi deep sea port which I hope on the next two weeks we should be able to get some strategic communication with the state “.
On his part Hon. Victor Abang representing Boki/Ikom constituency says he is positive that something would be done about the interests and partnerships expressed by the ambassador’s and head of missions of the various countries like Norway, Canada ,India, Belgium and Isreal who were amongst those in attendance.
On his part, Israel’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, expressed his country’s readiness to partner with Cross River State on a plethora of areas, like drip irrigation and rice farming which they have developed expertise in..
“Israel stands ready to work with Cross River State to address shared challenges that lie ahead by embracing innovation, collaboration and a shared sense of purpose. We can create a more sustainable, secure and prosperous future,” Freeman said.
Also speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the roundtable, the Cross River State Commissioner for Information, Hon Erasmus Ekpang, said the government is making efforts to turn around the economic fortunes of the state.
According to Ekpang, the meeting is about the 4th similar summit, coming after economic and energy summits earlier held, adding that the government will put more pressure and ensure commitment by prospective investors.
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