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Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu |
By 2026, Cross River State had projected itself as a state of tourism, infrastructure renewal, and “People First” governance under Governor Bassey Edet Otu. Government budget presentations repeatedly emphasized healthcare, education, and human development.
Yet beyond Calabar’s urban image lies another Cross River, one of collapsing classrooms, abandoned rural clinics, impassable roads, and communities still struggling to access the most basic public services.
An investigation into conditions across several local government areas reveals growing concerns that Cross River may now rank among the worst-performing states in Southern Nigeria in terms of rural public education and primary healthcare infrastructure.
A State Of Contrasts
To visitors arriving in Calabar, Cross River projects the image of a peaceful tourism destination. Carnival Calabar, urban road projects, hospitality investments, and government publicity campaigns have helped maintain the state’s public image.
But in rural communities across Bakassi, Akpabuyo, Odukpani, Biase, Obubra, Boki, Etung, Yakurr, Yala and parts of Bekwarra, the realities are starkly different.
Many residents say they live in communities where:
- schools operate with collapsing roofs,
- pupils sit on broken floors,
- primary healthcare centres lack drugs and staff,
- pregnant women travel long distances for childbirth,
- and roads become impassable during rainy seasons.
In many areas, public infrastructure appears frozen in neglect.
The Schools: Learning Inside Ruins
Across several rural communities, government-owned primary schools are reportedly operating in deplorable conditions.
Investigations and community reports reveal:
- cracked classroom walls,
- leaking roofs,
- classrooms without ceilings,
- blown-off zinc sheets,
- broken desks,
- overcrowded learning spaces,
- lack of toilets,
- absence of libraries and laboratories,
- and in some cases, pupils learning under trees.
Some schools continue operating inside aging wooden structures vulnerable to collapse during heavy rainfall.
Teachers in remote communities often complain of:
- poor welfare,
- lack of accommodation,
- delayed postings,
- and difficult transportation access.
As a result, many schools suffer acute teacher shortages.
In several communities, one or two teachers reportedly handle hundreds of pupils across multiple classes.
Primary Healthcare Centres “Existing Only In Name”
The condition of rural primary healthcare centres (PHCs) presents an equally troubling picture.
In many communities visited by journalists, activists, and local observers over recent years, PHCs reportedly lack:
- resident doctors,
- sufficient nurses,
- functional laboratories,
- delivery beds,
- electricity,
- clean water,
- ambulances,
- and essential drugs.
Some facilities reportedly remain locked for days due to absence of personnel.
Women in labor are often forced to seek treatment in distant towns because nearby clinics cannot handle emergencies.
In riverine and hard-to-reach communities, healthcare delivery becomes even more difficult during rainy seasons when roads deteriorate.
Residents say many PHCs exist largely as signboards rather than functional healthcare facilities.
Roads: The Hidden Driver Of The Crisis
One recurring factor linking both the healthcare and education crisis is poor road infrastructure.
Several rural roads across Cross River become nearly unusable during heavy rains.
The consequences are severe:
- teachers reject rural postings,
- health workers avoid remote communities,
- medical emergencies become deadly,
- school attendance drops,
- and infrastructure projects stall.
Communities that are geographically close to urban centres still remain effectively isolated.
Critics argue that no meaningful healthcare or educational reform can succeed while access roads remain neglected.
Cross River Compared To Other Southern States
While many Nigerian states struggle with public infrastructure deficits, analysts increasingly argue that Cross River’s rural conditions compare poorly with other Southern states.
Compared with states like Lagos, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Ogun, Enugu, and Akwa Ibom, Cross River appears to have:
- weaker rural school infrastructure,
- more abandoned public facilities,
- poorer healthcare access in remote communities,
- and wider urban-rural inequality.
Even states facing economic challenges often maintain relatively more functional:
- classroom structures,
- rural health centres,
- teacher distribution systems,
- and access roads.
Bayelsa State is often mentioned alongside Cross River due to its own riverine infrastructure difficulties. However, observers note that Bayelsa’s terrain naturally complicates development.
Cross River, on the other hand, faces criticism because many neglected communities are accessible by land yet still suffer prolonged abandonment.
Billions Budgeted Under Governor Bassey Otu
Ironically, the deterioration comes amid rising government budget allocations to healthcare and education.
Governor Bassey Otu’s administration proposed a ₦498 billion 2025 budget tagged the “Budget of Sustainable Growth.”
According to the official breakdown:
- ₦81 billion was allocated to education,
- ₦25 billion allocated to healthcare,
- while ₦100 billion went to infrastructure.
Combined, the allocations to education and health alone exceeded ₦106 billion.
The administration later signed a budget above ₦538 billion into law, before approving a supplementary budget that pushed the fiscal size above ₦642 billion.
Government officials defended the spending pattern as necessary for economic growth and social development.
Governor Otu repeatedly stated that his administration prioritizes:
- healthcare,
- quality education,
- infrastructure,
- and human development.
But Where Is The Impact?
Despite the huge allocations, residents and critics continue asking difficult questions:
- Why are many schools still collapsing?
- Why are PHCs still unequipped?
- Why do rural communities still lack basic services?
- Why do roads to schools and clinics remain impassable?
Civil society groups and budget transparency advocates increasingly argue that budget announcements alone do not equal implementation.
The larger concern is whether allocated funds are:
- fully released,
- properly monitored,
- transparently utilized,
- or reaching intended projects.
Questions have also emerged over government spending priorities.
A 2025 review cited by SaharaReporters indicated that ₦8 billion was allocated for a new Assembly complex — exceeding allocations for several public infrastructure categories including hospitals, schools, and water projects.
That revelation fueled public criticism amid worsening rural infrastructure complaints.
The Urban Illusion
Critics argue that Cross River suffers from what many describe as “urban visibility governance” — where projects concentrated around Calabar create the appearance of statewide development while rural communities remain neglected.
This has widened frustration among residents who feel disconnected from government spending narratives.
For many villagers, the conversation is no longer about budget figures.
It is about visible realities:
- Can children learn in safe classrooms?
- Can pregnant women access functioning healthcare?
- Can roads remain motorable?
- Can public infrastructure survive rainy seasons?
A Southern State Sliding Backwards?
Historically, Cross River was regarded as one of Nigeria’s more peaceful and educated Southern states.
But worsening infrastructure conditions now threaten that reputation.
Observers warn that if urgent interventions are not made in:
- rural schools,
- primary healthcare,
- road connectivity,
- teacher recruitment,
- and healthcare staffing,
the state risks deeper human development decline despite growing budget sizes.
For many residents in neglected communities, the frustration is simple:
Billions are announced every year, yet the schools still leak, the clinics remain empty, and the roads continue to disappear with every rainfall.
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