We’ll Support Cross River’s Health, Agricultural Sectors – AfDB President

President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has described Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu as a leader with the potential to turn the state’s fortunes around.

Adesina promised substantial investment support for Cross River State’s health and agriculture sectors.

Adesina made the promise at the state banquet organised in honour of the AfDB President in Calabar yesterday.

He stated that plans are in an advanced state to support the state’s primary healthcare delivery system in addition to the investments they are already promoting with the launch of the Special Agro Processing Zone project.

Adesina lauded Otu’s leadership style, stressing that Gov Otu is a “passionate, action-driven, and accountable leader, doing everything humanly possible for infrastructural development.

He stressed that with what Otu has done in partnership with Afrixem Bank for the Bakassi Deep Seaport project, Cross River State will soon be a critical logistics and industrial processing hub beyond Nigeria, covering the entire West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.

On healthcare delivery, Adesina pledged to support the state governor’s effort in revitalising primary health centres and the state health insurance initiative.

“We will help ensure that primary healthcare centres are not only revitalised but connected digitally to enable seamless access and portability of health records.”

He also advocated for adopting a sustainable franchise-based business model for healthcare delivery designed to improve nationwide access and quality.

He stressed that launching Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) in Cross River would transform the state’s economy.

Responding, Governor Bassey Otu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to achieving economic independence, where the state can become self-reliant rather than over depend on federal allocations.