The Vice Chancellor of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), Prof. Francisca Bassey, has commended the Governor of Cross River State, His Excellency, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, for his sustained commitment to educational development, expressing confidence that his administration will continue to deepen reforms in the sector and groom the next generation of leaders for the state.
Prof. Bassey gave the commendation while delivering the keynote presentation titled "From Beneficiaries to Partners: How the People of Cross River State Can Sustain and Deepen Governor Bassey Otu's Educational Reforms, Using the University of Cross River State as a Benchmark" at the 2026 Cross River Political Advocacy Summit held on Friday, July 24, 2026, at the Pearl Ballroom of Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar.
The Vice Chancellor recalled that, while serving as Senator, Governor Otu facilitated the construction of the University's Administrative Building—the largest building in the institution. She remarked: "If he could do this when he was not a Governor, you cannot imagine what he will keep doing as Governor."
She also applauded the Governor's administration for implementing the new minimum wage for UNICROSS staff and for initiating commendable efforts towards addressing the recent demands of the UNICROSS Branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). She further commended the Governor for improving the road network within the University and for supporting the institution during last year's National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation exercise, in which 17 new academic programmes secured full accreditation.
Prof. Bassey stated that Senator Otu is committed to nurturing young people who will provide future leadership for Cross River State. She reaffirmed the University's readiness to continue working closely with the State Government to raise academic standards and produce globally competitive graduates.
Building on that theme, the Vice Chancellor called for stronger collaboration among government, educational institutions, communities, parents, alumni, the private sector and civil society to sustain educational reforms and produce globally competitive graduates.
Presenting a framework anchored on educational reform, educational governance, collaborative governance, citizen participation, community ownership, stakeholder engagement and sustainable educational development, she described education as a shared responsibility that thrives on transparency, accountability and active public participation.
She stated that UNICROSS exemplifies the partnership required for sustainable educational development, stressing that parents, students, lecturers and other members of the university community must collectively uphold the values of hard work, discipline, integrity and merit. She therefore urged all stakeholders to reject practices that undermine academic integrity.
Prof. Bassey also called on host communities to partner with the University in protecting government-funded infrastructure, noting that safeguarding educational facilities is a collective responsibility. She further urged civil society organisations to sustain advocacy for transparency and higher educational standards, while encouraging the private sector to complement government efforts through research grants, infrastructure development and internship opportunities for students.
Highlighting UNICROSS's drive to expand partnerships beyond government, the Vice Chancellor disclosed that the University has entered into partnerships with Zenith Bank, the Bank of Industry and Skyrun on various initiatives aimed at advancing the institution's growth and development.
She equally challenged UNICROSS alumni to emulate the culture of giving demonstrated by graduates of leading Nigerian universities by investing in infrastructure, scholarships and other initiatives that would strengthen their alma mater.
"Imagine what will happen if every graduating class of the University of Cross River State adopted a single project," she remarked.
Speaking on the welfare of lecturers, Prof. Bassey observed that many academics make enormous personal sacrifices and invest heavily in their professional development to improve the quality of teaching. She recounted the story of a lecturer who resigned after witnessing a Professor fall from a motorcycle because he could no longer maintain his Mercedes-Benz car, describing the incident as a stark reflection of the challenges confronting academics. She maintained that university lecturers deserve greater encouragement and improved financial motivation.
She also highlighted reforms introduced by the current Management of UNICROSS, including the inauguration of the maiden Staff Week to recognise outstanding employees, the sponsorship of 44 staff members to an international conference in Cape Verde through TETFund, the deployment of an enhanced results portal that enables students to access their results without undue delay, and the introduction of virtual Senate meetings to reduce travel costs across the University's three campuses.
Prof. Bassey maintained that the progress recorded in UNICROSS under Governor Otu's administration demonstrates the value of partnership between government and stakeholders, expressing confidence that sustained collaboration would further strengthen the University's contribution to educational excellence and the sustainable development of Cross River State.
Earlier, the summit was declared open on behalf of the Governor by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dr. Peter Odey, who also unveiled the 2026 Political Advocacy Summit Magazine.
He underscored the importance of sustained engagement between government and the people, describing continuous feedback as essential for strengthening governance and ensuring that public policies effectively respond to the needs and aspirations of citizens.
In her welcome address, the Chief Host and Special Adviser to the Governor on Content Development and Archiving, Ms. Beatrice Akpala, said the summit was conceived to promote active citizen participation and strengthen democratic governance through sustained engagement between government and the people.
Other presentations were delivered by the Commissioner for Education, Senator Prof. Stephen Odey; former Military Administrator of Kwara State, Col. Pam Ogar; and the Vice Chairman of the Cross River State Economic and Intelligence Team, Rt. Hon. John Gaul Lebo, who examined various dimensions of education, governance and sustainable development.
Also in attendance was the Chairman of UNICROSS Governing Council, Ntufam Dr. Fidelis Ugbo, alongside other distinguished guests.
The summit ended with renewed calls for stronger collaboration among government, institutions and citizens to sustain educational reforms.
– UNICROSS Media Team
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