The Cross River State Government has entered a strategic partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to aggressively tackle the persistent power blackouts affecting rural communities across the state.
High-Level Roundtable Sets New Direction
This renewed commitment was forged during a high-level strategic roundtable held in Abuja yesterday. The meeting, themed "Sustainable Impact, Beyond Policies: Powering Cross River State's Blue & Green Economies Through Clean Energy Investments," brought together key stakeholders to chart a new course for the state's energy future.
Governor Bassey Otu, represented by Deputy Governor Peter Agbe Odey, applauded the REA's existing interventions in Cross River. He emphasized that these projects have demonstrated how deliberate and targeted electrification can transform communities.
Stark Reality of Cross River's Energy Crisis
Governor Otu painted a grim picture of the current electricity situation, revealing that only three of Cross River's 18 local council areas enjoy consistent electricity. This has forced millions of residents and businesses to rely heavily on generators, burdening them with high fuel costs.
The commercial nerve center of the state, Ikom, has been without public electricity for over six months, while another major area, Ogoja, has struggled with frequent blackouts and low voltage for years. These power deficiencies have severely disrupted business operations, hospital services, and smallholder agro-processing activities.
Clean Energy as Economic Enabler
Governor Otu described the roundtable as a turning point for Cross River State, emphasizing that the state is now prepared to welcome significant renewable energy investments. He identified energy access as a critical enabler for developing the state's blue and green economies.
"It is through enhanced clean energy infrastructure that we can unlock the vast potential of our natural resources while preserving our environment for future generations," Otu stated.
The governor specifically commended the REA and its partners for successfully delivering the 10-megawatt solar farm at the University of Calabar, a project executed in collaboration with the German government and private developers.
