News in brief: Cross River state governor, Bassey Otu, aims to boost the agricultural sector and establish trade consolidation centers to support the state’s agro-industrial revolution.
Bassey Otu, the newly-elected governor of Cross River state, has promised to ‘escalate the agro industrial revolution’ in the state. During his inaugural address, he spoke about several plans that his administration has for the citizens, one of which was bettering the agricultural sector.
Otu, like Tinubu, recognises the potential of agriculture to Nigeria’s economy. “I am determined to change the fortunes of Cross River State by implementing a vibrant Agricultural ecosystem supported by various trade consolidation centers,” part of his speech reads.
The Nigeria agricultural sector suffers from value addition and an overall weak ecosystem. Otu’s promise shows that he knows what the problem is and he goes a step further to mention produce and products that his administration will give utmost attention.
Palm oil, fish, cocoa, and rice are some of Cross River’s biggest agricultural products. The state is one of the most agriculturally successful states in Nigeria, ranking third in terms of agriculture gross domestic product (GDP), according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
For instance, In Calabar, palm oil and fisheries shall be reactivated, while the trade consolation centers for cocoa in Ikom and rice in Ogoja shall be developed and promptly established. We will also explore all trade and legal openings for Tinapa to properly take off.
â Bassey Edet Otu (@princebasseyotu) May 29, 2023
Otu said he will ‘reactivate’ palm oil and fisheries; although, what this means is not clear. Then, he added that he would improve trades consolidation centers for cocoa and rice. The other part of his promise will likely favour smallholder farmers as their produce will merged into bigger shipments to make them more cost-effective.
The new Cross River state governor mentioned that he will engage with the Tinubu-led administration for ‘relief’ on the state ceding 76 oil wells and losing the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon. He also made several other promises that you can find in this Twitter thread.
His agricultural pledges are nothing out of the ordinary and its execution will be the main attraction for his first 100 days in office. You can subscribe to our newsletter to get a notification when we review Governor Otu’s agricultural activities after his first 100 days.
