The Cross River State Government has unveiled a sweeping transformation of the education sector under the administration of Governor Bassey Otu, highlighting major investments in infrastructure, teacher development, digital learning and students’ welfare over the last three years.
Commissioner for Education, Prof Stephen Odey, presented the administration’s education scorecard during a media briefing in Calabar on Monday, describing the period between May 2023 and May 2026 as one of unprecedented growth and strategic reforms.
According to Odey, the governor has placed education at the heart of his development agenda, resulting in significant improvements across the basic, secondary and tertiary education subsectors.
A major milestone, the commissioner said, was the successful access and utilisation of more than N17 billion in intervention funds from the between 2023 and 2025, made possible through the state’s prompt payment of counterpart funding obligations.
The funds were deployed to construct 149 classroom blocks, rehabilitate 50 others, provide 30 boreholes in schools and supply 23,461 customised furniture items to learners across the state. Odey noted that Cross River remains among the few states that have consistently accessed available UBEC intervention funds without delay.
The administration also upgraded the Ministry of Education headquarters through extensive renovations, installation of solar-powered facilities, CCTV surveillance systems, modern office equipment and refurbishment of the ministry’s power infrastructure.
In addition, the state remodeled the State Library Complex into a digital research centre equipped with modern information and communication technology facilities to improve access to academic resources.
On student support initiatives, the commissioner disclosed that the state government has sustained the payment of WAEC registration fees for indigenous students in public secondary schools since Governor Otu assumed office. Between 2024 and 2026, no fewer than 43,694 students benefitted from the programme at a cost exceeding N1.17 billion.
The intervention, he said, has reduced the financial burden on families while increasing students’ participation in external examinations.
The commissioner also reported improvements in academic performance, revealing that the state’s WAEC pass rate rose from 68.8 per cent in 2023 to 72.1 per cent in 2024. Cross River also ranked fourth nationally in the 2024 NECO examinations, recording a 76.05 per cent success rate.
Among the landmark achievements cited was the establishment of the , which has already secured accreditation from the and completed its first academic session.
The government also approved the recruitment of 219 academic and non-academic staff for the and increased the institution’s monthly subvention from N220 million to N300 million to strengthen its operations.
Odey further revealed that over N4.1 billion was approved under the World Bank-supported HOPE Education Programme for the printing and distribution of more than 209,000 textbooks and over 23,000 teachers’ guides to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes in public primary schools.
The state has also embraced digital transformation by introducing online registration and result management systems for public examinations, including the Basic Education Certificate Examination and placement tests.
In the area of manpower development, the commissioner said more than 14,000 teaching and non-teaching personnel have been promoted, while additional teachers have been recruited to address workforce shortages. Thousands of educators have equally benefited from professional training programmes aimed at improving teaching quality.
Other reforms highlighted include the enactment of the Senior Secondary Education Board Law 2026, reconstitution of education boards and governing councils, annual school census exercises, provision of safety jackets for teachers in riverine communities, bursary support for students of Cross River origin and advocacy that facilitated the establishment of a new Federal Technical College in Akansoko, Akpabuyo Local Government Area.
The commissioner noted that the sector has continued to attract national recognition through awards in science, innovation, sports and educational administration.
He attributed the achievements to Governor Otu’s commitment to human capital development, describing education as the foundation for sustainable growth and long-term prosperity.
“The achievements recorded within the last three years demonstrate the Governor’s unwavering commitment to building a strong educational foundation for future generations. Education remains the bedrock of development, and Cross River is today on a steady path towards national relevance and global competitiveness,” Odey stated.
He assured residents that the Ministry of Education would continue to pursue policies and programmes aimed at raising educational standards and expanding opportunities for learners across the state.
