The Cross River State Government and Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have launched a renewed partnership to aggressively expand clean energy access across the state. 
  
The renewed commitment emerged yesterday at a high-level strategic roundtable in Abuja, themed “Sustainable Impact, Beyond Policies: Powering Cross River State’s Blue & Green Economies Through Clean Energy Investments.”
  
Speaking at the event, Governor Bassey Otu applauded the REA’s ongoing work in the state, noting that its interventions have offered clear proof that deliberate and targeted electrification can transform communities.
  
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Peter Agbe Odey, Otu said the state has reached a critical point where only three of Cross River’s 18 local council areas enjoy consistent electricity, adding that this has left millions of residents and businesses dependent on generators and high fuel costs.
  
The governor described the roundtable as a turning point for Cross River State, adding that the state was prepared to host an influx of renewable energy investments.
  
Otu, who painted a stark picture of the state’s energy crisis, said Ikom, the state’s commercial nerve centre, has had no public electricity for over six months. 
  
According to the governor, Ogoja, another major local council area, has been battling frequent blackouts and low voltage for years, disrupting businesses, hospitals, and smallholder agro-processing operations.
 
While describing energy access as a critical enabler for the development of the state’s blue and green economies, Otu noted: “It is through enhanced clean energy infrastructure that we can unlock the vast potential of our natural resources while preserving our environment for future generations.”

He commended the REA and its partners for delivering the 10-megawatt solar farm at the University of Calabar, a project executed with the German government and private developers.