30/05/2026
By 2026, Cross River State had projected itself as a state of tourism, infrastructure renewal, and “People First” governance under Governor Bassey Edet Otu. Government budget presentations repeatedly emphasized healthcare, education, and human development.
Yet beyond Calabar’s urban image lies another Cross River, one of collapsing classrooms, abandoned rural clinics, impassable roads, and communities still struggling to access the most basic public services.
An investigation into conditions across several local government areas reveals growing concerns that Cross River may now rank among the worst-performing states in Southern Nigeria in terms of rural public education and primary healthcare infrastructure.
To visitors arriving in Calabar, Cross River projects the image of a peaceful tourism destination. Carnival Calabar, urban road projects, hospitality investments, and government publicity campaigns have helped maintain the state’s public image.
But in rural communities across Bakassi, Akpabuyo, Odukpani, Biase, Obubra, Boki, Etung, Yakurr, Yala and parts of Bekwarra, the realities are starkly different.
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