The Government of Cross River has announced its ambitious goal to elevate the state into the top ranks of educationally-developed states in Nigeria.
Mr. Esu Esu, Chairman of the Cross River Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), revealed this during a news conference on Tuesday in Calabar. Esu emphasized the state’s commitment to transforming its educational landscape through strategic initiatives focused on boosting school enrollment and enhancing educational infrastructure.
“We are determined to move Cross River from being an educationally disadvantaged state to one that ranks among the best in the nation,” Esu declared. “To achieve this, we need everyone’s effort to improve school enrollment and develop infrastructure to a level where we can compete with other leading states.”
Esu outlined SUBEB’s plan to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to identify schools facing significant infrastructure challenges. The findings will guide the creation of a detailed work plan, which will be submitted to the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) in Abuja for approval.
Upon assuming office, Esu inherited a SUBEB plagued by severe infrastructural decay. His mission, he stated, is to transform the board from its current state into a beacon of educational excellence.
Regarding the teacher-student ratio, Esu indicated that efforts would be made to address staffing shortages by seeking the governor’s approval for the recruitment of additional teachers.
In 2023, SUBEB implemented 49 interventions in schools across the state. Esu announced plans to double this number to 100 in 2024, broadening the impact across the educational sector.
The chairman also called on the media and residents to support SUBEB’s technical team by identifying remote areas in urgent need of educational infrastructure upgrades. “This will ensure that even the most hard-to-reach communities benefit from the state’s educational reforms,” he said.
Esu further pledged to tackle the issue of ghost workers within the educational system, leveraging his experience in school board management to reduce malpractice. “Many people are defrauding the system by collecting salaries without working. I commit to addressing this issue head-on and ensuring accountability within our educational system,” he asserted.
