Cross River State has a land mass of 23, 074kilometre square. The State is covered by a body of waters from the tributaries of the Cross River and the Atlantic Ocean. This renders the land very fertile and provides abundant aquatic resources for exploitation. Two third of Cross River State is covered by tropical rain forests, making the state one of the world's bio-diversity hotspots. The state is also blessed with other mineral resources including clay, salt, limestone, kaolin, barite, quartzite, limonite etc. All in commercial quantity.
The capital of Cross River State is Calabar and the state has 18 local government areas. The population of Cross River State is estimated at 2.89million persons (2006). 40% of the population constitutes the active population that is engaged in various economic activities; ranging from subsistence agriculture to urban commerce and transport business.
Agriculture has since 1970, been acknowledged as the leading economic sector of the state. Agriculture currently employs about 80% of the state's workforce and contributes 40% to the state's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The State boasts of several agricultural estates that only need sustained support as well as small holder farms in various local government areas.
Traditionally one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria,Cross River State is home to some of Nigeria's most beautiful scenery. The development of the state tourism potential has remained the core of successive governments strategy for development.
Taking in 32% of the entire state, Cross River boasts of the world's 2nd largest preserved rain forest. The Afi Mountain Nature Reserve is one of the last remaining reserves and tropical rain forests in West Africa and is home to the most successful rehabilitation program for Drill Monkeys in the world today.
In between the southern beaches and the northern mountains, visitors can enjoy a range of activities including a most beautiful canopy walkway which is situated close to the Afi Mountain Wildlife sanctuary. This canopy walkway holds the record of being the longest forest canopy walkway in Africa.
The Cross River National Park incorporates a large area of southeast Nigeria's tropical rain forest between the Cross River State and Republic of Cameroon border. Cross River National Park comprising the former Oban Forest Reserve and the Boshi Okwango Forest Reserve is now the largest and only protected forest area in the rain forest region of Nigeria. It was initiated by the World Wide Fund for Nature in collaboration with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation. The Oban section contains the highest tropical bio-diversity in Africa with remarkable wild life including the rare red-head Rock Fowl, Golden Potto, Red Colobus, needle-clawed Galago, Bate's Pigmy Antelope, Day Duiker, Ogilby's Duiker and the rare Olive Ibis. Other animal species to be found in the park are antelopes, chimpanzees, high forest monkeys, buffaloes, high forest elephants, manatees and bush pigs. Others include baboons, leopards and gorillas, some of which are endangered.
Located some 17km from Ikom, in central Cross River State and about 300km from Calabar, are the Agbokim Waterfalls. The falls are considered a "miracle of nature" and consist of seven different streams, each cascading over steep cliffs, providing seven-faced falls.
Cross River is also home to one of the largest naturally occuring lake in the South-South region of Nigeria; the Refome Lake. The lake is central to a fishing festival which takes place between March and May every year.
Rubber and oil palm plantations generate export commodities for the state. Forestry accounts for about two third of total land areas, hence forestry products rank next after agriculture.
The Melina Plantation in Akampa LGA used to supply the Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company at Oku Iboku in Akwa Ibom State. Plywood and other wood products are manufactured in Calabar using the rich timber from Cross River State forests.
A great variety of tropical woods are found in Cross River State including Brachystegia, Mytrogyna, Akwamini, Camwood, Iroko, Ebony, Mahogany, Rhizophora, Obeche, Opepe, Black Afara, etc.
The State also has great potential for marine fisheries and fresh water aqua-culture. Because of the large rivers which drain areas with heavy rainfall, where the rocks are deeply weathered, the rivers are nutrients laden with elements and dissolved salts for diverse forms of aquatic life.
Indeed these nutrients and vital elements support abundant shrimps, clams, periwinkle and fish in the lower courses of the rivers and throughout the coastal swamps and shelf waters. In mining and quarrying, Cross River State has great potentials. But so far, industrial minerals have dominated this sub sector. The only challenge that has impeded the exploration of metallic minerals in the state is the thick impenetrable forests and deep weathering which greatly mantles the surface.
But by far, the greatest natural asset in Cross River State is the availability of extensive and highly fertile soils which should ordinarily turn the state to the bread basket of the old eastern region.
Cross River State has good prospects for a host of agricultural and mineral raw materials; but agricultural raw materials top the list. Natural rubber, palm oil and kernel are already established plantation products and main raw material exports of the State.
Cocoa, Soya Beans, and food crops such as cassava, yam, rice, plantain, banana, and maize are produced in great abundance. The state can also consider the feasibility of utilising the locally available raw materials like maize for glucose, egg for egg powder, yam for yam flour, mango, orange, cashew, pineapple for fruit juice, cocoa for cocoa products, and palm wine for baking yeast.
Industrial materials such as crushed rock, sand, gravel and limestone are already being produced from the state. Cross River State holds the purest (97% CaCo3) and largest reserve of limestone in the country. The Mfamosing limestone deposits used to be quarried for the manufacture of cement by the Calabar Cement Company and by the Cross River Limestones Ltd. for shipment to the Delta Steel rolling plant at Aladja, Warri for use as a fluxing agent and for making of hydrated lime.
Geological exploration by the Geology Department of the University of Calabar have uncovered limonite in commercial quantity in obudu LGA. Limonite is a titanium bearing mineral that is used in the manufacture of paint.
Other mineral deposits in Cross River include, three good quality kaolin, graphite, manganese, baryte, tin, marble, brines of up to 8.6% NaCL at Okpoma near Ogoja in Yala LGA. There are also brines with lower salt concentration in Ikom. Cross River brines are the richest brines in the country. They are richer than the Uburu Okposi brines in Abia State, the Abakaliki brines and those of the Keana Awe area in Nasarawa State.
And since Lead and Zinc are always associated with the discovery of brines, the Cross River brines holds the prospect of manufacturing chlorine and caustic soda. The State also boast of an Export Processing Zone in Calabar.
Matter-of-factly, methinks that the State management team and the people of Cross River State should stop all the bickering over the transfer of 76 oil wells from the state to Akwa Ibom State and look inwards to see how they can turn the state to the envy of their neighbours.
Experts have projected that agriculture, mining and tourism have the potential of giving the state in excess of 10bn US Dollars per annum and all the annual allocation from Abuja to the entire South-South is no where near that amount.
To maximise these potentials therefore, the Governor should look for local and international partners to:
1. Construct a dual purpose, two lane modern speed rail for passengers and haulage to connect Calabar Port and Yala through Obudu. This will reduce travel time across the state. People can come everyday to work in Calabar from the northern part of the state and keep the capital de-congested. Goods and other products can leave the north and arrive at the Calabar port on record time. New towns will also open up along the rail corridor.
2. Dredge the Calabar port to berth bigger cargo ships. This will engender huge commerce and facilitate a lee way for the huge exports that the state will produce. The wharf will also create massive employment for the jobless.
3. Revamp or upgrade the Bebi Airstrip to a full airport. This will open up the tourism potentials of the north and make them more accessible to tourists in the global market. It will cut the travel difficulties that have continued to discourage massive private investments in the sector.
4. Make 80,000hectares of land available for six mega farm estates at different locations between Akpabuyo and Obudu. Just make the land available, give very juicy moratoriums like 5-10yrs tax rebate, free land lease for 20yrs, security etc, and the train and Calabar Sea Port are there to move produce conveniently for export, don't worry, the "mega farmers" will definitely show up from wherever they are in the world.
But when they come, your standards too must be high. Something like... They must employ a certain percentage of our people. They must transfer a certain percentage of technology in whatever it is they are doing. They should source for raw materials locally unless where not available etc. This will create employment and keep the rail and the wharf busy.
5. Source for alternative sources of energy to power the emerging economy.
By the time careful thought and planning is applied to achieve these and many more, our neighbours will envy us and we can as well ask Abuja to keep their pittance.
The wealth of Cross River State lies not in crude oil but in the preponderance of the ineffable munificence of God upon our fertile soil and the incredibly innovative human resources. It is the lack of visionary and imaginative leadership that has stunted the growth of the state and our leaders need to tickle their imagination and stop fussing over some cursed oil money.
God bless the people's paradise.
Agba Jalingo
Coordinator, www.kickthemout2015.org
Adegbola St. Ikeja.
No comments:
Post a Comment