The Cross River State Government has empowered 400 of its citizens, including farmers and former members of the defunct Bakassi Defence Force, with grants worth N800 million to support their reintegration, entrepreneurship, and participation in agricultural ventures. The beneficiaries, who each received N2 million as seed capital, recently completed intensive training on Innovative and Integrated Agricultural Value Chains at CSS Farms in Nasarawa State.
The empowerment scheme is a key component of the state’s “People First” agenda, focused on wealth creation, job generation, and food security before the end of the current administration. Speaking at the presentation ceremony in Calabar, Governor Bassey Otu said the initiative was designed to redirect the energy of young people from destructive activities to productive ventures, noting that no society can thrive when its most vibrant demographic is left unguided.
“Today’s empowerment programme is primarily targeted at redirecting the strength and energy of our youths from destructive to productive ventures. The youth, as a critical demographic set, is the pulse of society, as they are as versatile as they are volatile,” Otu said. He explained that the support was not a display of abundant resources but a strategic investment in human capital aimed at transforming societal liabilities into development assets.
He noted that agriculture was deliberately chosen as the preferred sector because of its far-reaching impact and central role in food security. “We are poised to change the character of our young people and transform them from being societal liabilities to development assets. The seed capital we are giving out today is to test your dexterity and commitment. Once we see what you have done with this, we are ready to add another,” he said.
Otu assured former agitators that they were not stigmatised but rather welcomed as vital contributors to the state’s development, adding that empowerment had always been a guiding principle of his leadership since his time in the National Assembly.
Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Patrick Egbede, described the initiative as a major milestone in Cross River’s drive to promote economic development and create sustainable jobs. “It is my great pleasure to celebrate the graduation of 400 Cross River State citizens—200 farmers and another 200 repentant agitators—from the intensive training at CSS Farms. The skills and knowledge acquired will enable them to make meaningful impact in their communities and contribute to state economic growth,” he said.
Egbede also highlighted the administration’s broader youth empowerment efforts, including training 100 young people in ICT with a focus on web development and programming. He added that monitoring committees have been established across senatorial districts to ensure accountability and effective use of the grants. Beneficiaries who demonstrate success and proper use of the funds, he said, would receive further support.
Two of the beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the state government for the initiative and pledged to utilise the grants productively for self-development and wealth creation.
The empowerment programme builds on ongoing agricultural initiatives in Cross River State. Earlier in July, the government launched a large-scale project to cultivate 30 million coffee seedlings across the state’s 18 local government areas, signalling a significant step in reviving the state’s agricultural sector. Governor Otu described the coffee project as a bold and strategic move to reposition Cross River as Nigeria’s coffee capital and an emerging player in the global coffee market.
“The project aligns with our ‘People First’ agenda and is aimed at empowering farmers, creating jobs, promoting sustainable livelihoods, and boosting agro-industrial development. With 30 million robust and climate-appropriate seedlings being distributed across our 18 local government areas, this project is about more than cultivation — it is about job creation, wealth generation, ecological restoration, and building an inclusive economy,” he said.
Through initiatives like the N800 million empowerment programme and the coffee seedling project, the Cross River State Government is reinforcing its commitment to youth empowerment, agricultural transformation, and inclusive economic growth.
