Cross River Varsity Seeks UNICEF Presence To Boost Development

Vice chancellor of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), Prof. Francisca Bassey, has called on the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to establish an office in Cross River State to enhance its operational efficiency in the South-South region.

Bassey made the appeal in Calabar yesterday during a courtesy visit by UNICEF officials to her office.

The delegation was led by Mrs. Gabriel Bolatito, Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Specialist at UNICEF’s Enugu Office, coordinating the South-East and South-South regions.

The vice chancellor observed that coordinating activities across the South-South and South-East regions from Enugu presents logistical challenges.

She highlighted Calabar as a viable and strategic location for a UNICEF office, describing Cross River State as “peaceful and conducive for development initiatives”.

Bassey assured the delegation that the Government of Cross River State “will gladly provide all that is needed” and added that UNICROSS “will readily provide institutional support, including access to facilities within or outside the campus environment”.

She emphasized UNICROSS’s commitment to equipping students with practical skills beyond their academic programmes, noting ongoing initiatives such as “the development of wood engineering, hospitality, and catering and pastry hubs, as well as the procurement of modern photography equipment to enhance youth training”.

While addressing the WASH Specialist, Professor Bassey proposed the establishment of WASH Clubs in universities to promote sanitation and hygiene best practices within academic communities.

She noted that since Social and Behaviour Change is a core component of UNICEF’s mandate, the University “is prepared to collaborate on programmes aimed at addressing drug abuse among young people”.

In his remarks, Mr. Emmanuel Bamidele, Skills Acquisition and Livelihood Officer of UNICEF, recalled UNICEF’s 2022 health sensitization programme at UNICROSS, which he described as “highly successful”. He stated that the current visit was aimed at engaging with the University’s new Management under Professor Bassey’s leadership and exploring areas of collaboration.

He added that UNICEF’s strategic focus for 2026 includes “expanding internship, apprenticeship, and entrepreneurship opportunities to empower young people with practical competencies beyond academic qualifications”. He expressed UNICEF’s interest in partnering with institutions such as UNICROSS to achieve this objective.