Cross River State
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) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type =
Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...
, subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Geopolitical Zone , subdivision_name1 =
South South The South South (often hyphenated to the South-South) is the one of the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria representing both a geographic and political region of the country's eastern coast. It comprises six states – Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross R ...
, established_title = Date created , established_date = 27 May 1967 , seat_type = Capital , seat =
Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language. The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and c ...
, government_footnotes = , governing_body = Government of Cross River State , leader_party = APC , leader_title =
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
, leader_name =
Benedict Ayade Ayade Benedict Bengiuoshuye CON was born on the 2nd of March, 1968 and hails from Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State. He holds a B.Sc., LLB, BL, M.Sc., MBA, LLM and a Ph.D. He bagged his PhD at a tender age of 26 from the prest ...
, leader_title1 = , leader_name1 =
Ivara Esu Ivara Ejemot Esu OFR, (born 3 May 1951) is a Nigerian politician, academic administrator and professor who is the current Deputy Governor of Cross River State. He hails from Agwagune in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State, Niger ...
( APC) , leader_title2 = Legislature , leader_name2 = Cross River State House of Assembly , leader_title3 = Senators , leader_name3 =

, leader_title4 = Representatives , leader_name4 =
List A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
, unit_pref = Metric , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = 20,156 , area_rank = 19th of 36 , area_note = , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = , population_footnotes = , population_total = 3,737,517 , population_as_of = 2016 , population_rank = 28th of 36 , population_density_km2 = auto , population_note = , demographics_type1 =
GDP (PPP) GDP (PPP) means gross domestic product based on purchasing power parity. This article includes a list of countries by their forecast estimated GDP (PPP). Countries are sorted by GDP (PPP) forecast estimates from financial and statistical ...
, demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Year , demographics1_info1 = 2007 , demographics1_title2 = Total , demographics1_info2 = $15.56 billion , demographics1_title3 = Per capita , demographics1_info3 = $5,150 , timezone1 =
WAT A wat ( km, វត្ត, ; lo, ວັດ, ; th, วัด, ; khb, 「ᩅᨯ᩠ᨰ」(waD+Dha); nod, 「ᩅ᩠ᨯ᩶」 (w+Da2)) is a type of Buddhist temple and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State, Yunnan, the Southern Provi ...
, utc_offset1 = +01 , postal_code_type = postal code , postal_code = 540001 , area_code_type = Dialing Code , area_code = +234 , iso_code = NG-CR , blank_name_sec1 =
HDI The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, wh ...
(2018) , blank_info_sec1 = 0.609
· 14th of 37 , website

, footnotes = Cross River State is a States of Nigeria, state in the South-South geopolitical zone of
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
. Named for the Cross River, the state was formed from the eastern part of the Eastern Region on 27 May 1967. Its capital is
Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language. The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and c ...
, it borders to the north through
Benue state Benue State is one of the North Central states in Nigeria with a population of about 4,253,641 in 2006 census. The state was created in 1976 among the 7 states created at that time.The state derives its name from the Benue River which is t ...
, to the west through
Ebonyi state Ebonyi State ( ig, Ȯra Ebonyi) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north and northeast by Benue State, Enugu State to the west, Cross River State to the east and southeast, and Abia State to the southwe ...
and Abia state, and to the southwest through
Akwa Ibom state Akwa Ibom State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The state takes its name from the Qua Iboe ...
,while its eastern border forms part of the national border with
Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
. Originally known as the South-Eastern State before being renamed in 1976, Cross River state formerly included the area that is now
Akwa Ibom state Akwa Ibom State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The state takes its name from the Qua Iboe ...
, which became a distinct state in 1987. Of the 36 states in Nigeria, Cross River state is the nineteenth largest in area and 27th most populous, with an estimated population of over 3.8 million as of 2016. Geographically, the state is mainly divided between the
Guinean forest–savanna mosaic The Guinean forest-savanna mosaic is an ecoregion of West Africa, a band of interlaced forest, savanna, and grassland running east to west and dividing the tropical moist forests near the coast from the West Sudanian savanna of the interior. Set ...
in the far north and the
Cross–Sanaga–Bioko coastal forests The Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of west-central Africa. This is lush forest rich in flora and birdlife. Location and description The region includes the lowland and coastal forests of southe ...
in the majority of the interior of the state. The smaller ecoregions are the
Central African mangroves The Central African mangroves ecoregion consists of the largest area of mangrove swamp in Africa, located on the coasts of West Africa, mainly in Nigeria. Location and description These mangroves are found in fertile rivermouths and lagoons and ...
in the coastal far south and a part of the
montane Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial ...
Cameroonian Highlands forests The Cameroonian Highlands forests, also known as the Cameroon Highlands forests, are a montane tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion located on the range of mountains that runs inland from the Gulf of Guinea and forms the border between Camer ...
in the extreme northeast. The most major geographical feature is the state's namesake, the Cross River, which bisects the state's interior before forming much of the state's western border, and flowing into the Cross River Estuary. Other important rivers are the
Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language. The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and c ...
and Great Kwa rivers, which flow from the inland
Oban Hills The Oban Hills are a range of hills in Cross River State, Nigeria. They lie within the Oban Hills Division of the Cross River National Park. Geography The hills are rugged, rising from in the river valleys to over in the mountains. The soils a ...
, before flanking the city of
Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language. The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and c ...
and flowing into the Cross River Estuary as well. In the forested interior of the state are several biodiverse
protected areas Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
including the
Cross River National Park The Cross River National Park is a national park of Nigeria, located in Cross River State, Nigeria. There are two separate sections, Okwangwo (established 1991) and Oban (established 1988). The park has a total area of about 4,000 km2, most ...
, Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, and
Mbe Mountains Community Forest The Mbe Mountains Community Forest is situated in southern Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Afri ...
. These wildlife reserves contain populations of
Preuss's red colobus Preuss's red colobus (''Piliocolobus preussi'') is a red colobus primate species endemic to the Cross-Sanaga Rivers ecoregion. An important population occurs in Korup National Park, Southwest Province, Cameroon, but the species' distribution is ...
,
African forest buffalo The African forest buffalo (''Syncerus caffer nanus''), also known as the dwarf buffalo or the Congo buffalo, is the smallest subspecies of the African buffalo. It is related to the Cape buffalo (''Syncerus caffer caffer''), the Sudan buffalo ...
,
bat hawk The bat hawk (''Macheiramphus alcinus'') is a raptor found in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia to New Guinea. It is named for its diet, which consists mainly of bats. It requires open space in which to hunt, but will live anywhere from dense r ...
,
tree pangolin The tree pangolin (''Phataginus tricuspis'') is one of eight extant species of pangolins ("scaly anteaters"), and is native to equatorial Africa. Also known as the white-bellied pangolin or three-cusped pangolin, it is the most common of the ...
,
grey-necked rockfowl The grey-necked rockfowl (''Picathartes oreas'') is a medium-sized bird in the family Picathartidae with a long neck and tail. Also known as the grey-necked picathartes, this passerine is mainly found in rocky areas of close-canopied rainforest ...
, and
West African slender-snouted crocodile The West African slender-snouted crocodile (''Mecistops cataphractus''), or slender-snouted crocodile, is a critically endangered species of African crocodile. It is one of five species of crocodile in Africa, the other four being the Central A ...
, along with some of Nigeria's last remaining
Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes ellioti'') is a subspecies of the common chimpanzee which inhabits the rainforest along the border of Nigeria and Cameroon. Male Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees can weigh up to 70 kilos with a bo ...
, drill,
African forest elephant The African forest elephant (''Loxodonta cyclotis'') is one of the two living African elephant species. It is native to humid forests in West Africa and the Congo Basin. It is the smallest of the three living elephant species, reaching a shoulde ...
, and
Cross River gorilla The Cross River gorilla (''Gorilla gorilla diehli'') is a critically endangered subspecies of the western gorilla (''Gorilla gorilla''). It was named a new species in 1904 by Paul Matschie, a mammalian taxonomist working at the Humboldt Univer ...
populations. Modern-day Cross River state has been inhabited by several ethnic groups for hundreds of years, primarily the Efik of the riverside south and
Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language. The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and c ...
; the Ekoi (Ejagham) of the inland south; the
Akunakuna The Akunakuna are an ethnic group of Nigeria and Cameroon, closely related to the Efik, Bahumono and Ibibio people, mostly inhabiting the area around the Cross River. Recent figures have indicated there are over three hundred fifty thousand Akun ...
, Boki, Bahumono, and Yakö (Yakurr) of the central region; and the
Bekwarra Bekwarra is a Local Government Area in northern Cross River State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is Abuochiche (or Abuo Chiche); a town on the A4 highway. Other towns in the LGA are Abuagbor-Iye, Nyanya-Ulim, Nyanya-Idigwe, Gakem, Itekpa, Ugboro, Ibi ...
, Bette, Igede, Ukelle (Kukele) of the northern region. In the pre-colonial period, what is now Cross River state was divided between its ethnic groups with some joining the
Aro Confederacy The Aro Confederacy (1690–1902) was a political union orchestrated by the Aro people, Igbo subgroup, centered in Arochukwu in present-day southeastern Nigeria. Their influence and presence was all over Eastern Nigeria, lower Middle Belt, an ...
, while the Efik founded the Akwa Akpa (Old Calabar) city-state. The latter become a British protectorate in 1884, as the capital of the
Oil Rivers Protectorate The Niger Coast Protectorate was a British protectorate in the Oil Rivers area of present-day Nigeria, originally established as the Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1884 and confirmed at the Berlin Conference the following year. It was renamed on 12 M ...
; but it was in the early 1900s that the Britons gained formal control of the entire area. Around the same time, the protectorate (now renamed the
Niger Coast Protectorate The Niger Coast Protectorate was a British protectorate in the Oil Rivers area of present-day Nigeria, originally established as the Oil Rivers Protectorate in 1884 and confirmed at the Berlin Conference the following year. It was renamed on 12 ...
) was incorporated into the
Southern Nigeria Protectorate Southern Nigeria was a British protectorate in the coastal areas of modern-day Nigeria formed in 1900 from the union of the Niger Coast Protectorate with territories chartered by the Royal Niger Company below Lokoja on the Niger River. The ...
, which later merged into
British Nigeria Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British Empire from the mid-nineteenth century until 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. British influence in the region began with the prohibition of slave trade to British subjects in 1807. Britain a ...
. After the merger, much of the modern-day Cross River state has become a center of anti-colonial resistance during the
Women's War The Women's War, or Aba Women's Protest ( Igbo: ''Ogu Umunwanyi''; Ibibio: ''Ekong Iban''), was a period of unrest in colonial Nigeria over November 1929. The protests broke out when thousands of Igbo women from the Bende District, Umuahia an ...
and trade,through the international seaport at
Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language. The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and c ...
. After independence in 1960, the area now regarded as Cross River state was a part of the post-independence Eastern Region until 1967, when the region was split and the area became part of the South-Eastern state. Less than two months afterwards, the
Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a ...
-majority of the former Eastern Region attempted to secede as the state of
Biafra Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated form ...
; in the three-year long
Nigerian Civil War The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Nigerian–Biafran War or the Biafran War, was a civil war fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence ...
. Calabar and its port was hard fought over in
Operation Tiger Claw {{Campaignbox Biafran War Operation Tiger Claw (October 17–19, 1967) was a military conflict between Nigerian and Biafran military forces. The battle took place in the major port of Calabar. The Nigerian were led by Benjamin Adekunle while th ...
, while the people from Cross River state were persecuted by the
Biafra Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated form ...
n forces as they were mainly non-Igbos. At the war's end and the reunification of Nigeria, the South-Eastern state was reformed until 1976, when it was renamed Cross River state. Eleven years later, Cross River state was divided with western Cross River being broken off to form the new
Akwa Ibom state Akwa Ibom State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The state takes its name from the Qua Iboe ...
. The state formerly contained the oil-producing
Bakassi Peninsula Bakassi is a peninsula on the Gulf of Guinea. It lies between the Cross River (Nigeria), Cross River estuary, near the city of Calabar and the Rio del Ray estuary on the east. It is governed by Cameroon, following the transfer of sovereignty f ...
, but it was ceded to
Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
under the terms of the
Greentree Agreement The Greentree Agreement is a formal treaty which resolved the Cameroon–Nigeria border dispute over the oil and natural gas-rich Bakassi peninsula.Uppsala Conflict Data Program Conflict Encyclopedia, Cameroon, Peace Agreements, http://www.ucdp.uu ...
. As an agricultural state, the Cross River state's economy partially relies on crops, such as
cocoyam Cocoyam is a common name for more than one tropical root crop and vegetable crop belonging to the Arum family (also known as Aroids and by the family name ''Araceae'') and may refer to: * Taro Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root veg ...
,
rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, an ...
,
oil palm ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm '' Elaeis guineensis'' (the species name ''guineensis'' referring to its c ...
, yam,
cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...
,
cashews The cashew tree (''Anacardium occidentale'') is a tropical evergreen tree native to South America in the genus '' Anacardium'' that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The tree can grow as tall as , but the dwarf cu ...
, and
plantain Plantain may refer to: Plants and fruits * Cooking banana, banana cultivars in the genus ''Musa'' whose fruits are generally used in cooking ** True plantains, a group of cultivars of the genus ''Musa'' * ''Plantaginaceae'', a family of flowerin ...
crops, along with fishing. Key minor industries involve tourism in and around the wildlife reserves along with the historic Ikom Monoliths site,
Calabar Carnival Calabar Carnival is an annual carnival held in Cross River State, Nigeria. The carnival holds every December and was declared by the then governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke as an activity to mark Christmas celebration yearly. He said ...
, and
Obudu Mountain Resort Obudu Mountain Resort (formerly known as the Obudu Cattle Ranch) is a ranch and resort on the Obudu Plateau in Cross River State, Nigeria. History It was developed in 1951 by M. McCaughley, McCaughley who first explored the mountain ranges in ...
. Cross River state has the joint-thirteenth highest
Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, wh ...
in the country and numerous institutions of tertiary education.


Geography

Cross River state derives its name from the Cross River, which passes through the state. It is a coastal state located in the
Niger Delta The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. It is located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, which include: all six states from the South South geopolitic ...
region, and occupies 20,156 square kilometers. It shares boundaries with
Benue state Benue State is one of the North Central states in Nigeria with a population of about 4,253,641 in 2006 census. The state was created in 1976 among the 7 states created at that time.The state derives its name from the Benue River which is t ...
to the north,
Ebonyi Abakaliki is a Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. It's headquarters are in the town of Nkaliki. It has an area of 443 km and a population of 126,837 based on the census conducted i2006. Thehe postal code A postal code (a ...
and
Abia Abia or ABIA may refer to: ABIA * Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, in Austin, Texas, United States * Australian Book Industry Awards, national literary and industry awards People * Abia (name) * Abia (mythology), the nursemaid of Glenus ...
states to the west, to the east by Sud-Ouest Province in
Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
, and to the south by
Akwa-Ibom Akwa Ibom State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The state takes its name from the Qua Iboe R ...
and the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
. The state is made up of 18 Local Government Area Councils.


Climate

Like few other Nigerian states, the climate of Cross River state is
tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
. Not only this, the state is characterised with
relative humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity dep ...
. The average temperature of the state is between 150C and 300C. However, this climatic condition is different in locations within the Cross River state such as the high plateau of
Obudu Obudu is a local government area and town in Cross River State, Nigeria. The area features a tourist resort, Obudu Mountain Resort, which hosts an annual mountain running competition called the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race. The town of O ...
, which has a record of a fall in temperature between 40C and 100C, as a result of the high
altitude Altitude or height (also sometimes known as depth) is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context ...
of this area. The capital city of the State, Calabar, has a significant record of rainfall within the year, while the dry season has less significant effect in the state due to the depth of rainfall experienced. Based on the records presented by the Climate Data of the state, the annual rainfall of Cross River state is 3306mm, 130.2 inch.


History

Cross River as a south-south state was created on 27 May 1967 from the former
Eastern Region, Nigeria The Eastern Region was an administrative region in Nigeria, dating back originally from the division of the colony Southern Nigeria in 1954. Its first capital was Calabar. The capital was later moved to Enugu and the second capital was Umuahia. ...
, by the General
Yakubu Gowon Yakubu Dan-Yumma 'Jack' Gowon (born 19 October 1934) is a retired Nigerian Army general and military leader. As Head of State of Nigeria, Gowon presided over a controversial Nigerian Civil War and delivered the famous "no victor, no vanquishe ...
regime. Its name was changed to Cross River state in the 1976 state creation exercise by the then General
Murtala Mohammed Murtala Ramat Muhammad (8 November 1938 – 13 February 1976) was a Nigerian general who led the 1966 Nigerian counter-coup in overthrowing the Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi military regime and featured prominently during the Nigerian Civil War ...
regime from South Eastern State.The present day
Akwa Ibom State Akwa Ibom State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The state takes its name from the Qua Iboe ...
was excised from it in the state creation exercise of September 1987 by the then regime of General
Ibrahim Babangida Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (born 17 August, 1941) is a retired Nigerian Army general and politician. He served as military president of Nigeria from 1985 until his resignation in 1993. He rose through the ranks to serve from 1984 to 1985 as C ...
. The struggle for a new state creation started in 1980 in the reign of president shehu shagari where Senator
Joseph Oqua Ansa Joseph Oqua Ansa was a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was elected two terms in 1979 and 1983 to represent Cross River south senatorial district during the Nigerian second republic (1979-1983). He was a member of the National Part ...
(Mon) the senator representing Calabar senatorial district then was at the helm of affairs. Its capital is Calabar. Its major towns are Calabar Municipality, Akamkpa, Biase,
Calabar South Calabar South is a Local Government Area of Cross River State ) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , ...
, Ikom, Igede,
Obubra Obubra is a Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross River State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Obubra, which is home to the Ibrahim Babangida College of Agriculture. The National Youth Service Corps, Cross River State Orientation C ...
,
Odukpani Odukpani is a Local Government Area in Cross River State, Nigeria. It lies between latitude 5°4'52.46''N and longitude 8°20'59.7''E and has an elevation approximately 413 ft. It is largely populated by the Efik people. President Olusegun ...
,
Ogoja Ogoja is a Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Local Government Area in Cross River State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is Ogoja town in the northeast of the area near the A4 highway (Nigeria), A4 highway at. It has an area of 972 km² and a pop ...
, Bekwarra,
Ugep Ugep (also Umor) is a town in Cross River State, southern Nigeria. The village is populated by the Yakurr people. Ugep as it is popularly known is one of the unit that constitute Yakurr, its indigenes speak the Lokaa Language which is the gene ...
,
Obudu Obudu is a local government area and town in Cross River State, Nigeria. The area features a tourist resort, Obudu Mountain Resort, which hosts an annual mountain running competition called the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race. The town of O ...
, Obanliku,
Akpabuyo Akpabuyo is a Local Government Area of Cross River State ) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , co ...
, Ofutop, Iso-bendghe, Danare, Boki, Yala, Bendeghe Ekiem, Etomi, Ediba, Itigidi,
Ugep Ugep (also Umor) is a town in Cross River State, southern Nigeria. The village is populated by the Yakurr people. Ugep as it is popularly known is one of the unit that constitute Yakurr, its indigenes speak the Lokaa Language which is the gene ...
, Ukpe and
Ukelle The Ukelle people (''Ba'kelle'') make up roughly half of the population of the Yala Local Government Area in Cross River State, Nigeria . Ukelle people are a sub ethnic group belonging to the Orring people who are also found in Benue in Utonkon, ...
. The state has many governors and administrators including Udoakaha J. Esuene, Paul Omu, Tunde Elegbede,
Clement Isong Clement Nyong Isong, CFR (20 April 1920 – 29 May 2000) was a Nigerian banker and politician who was governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (1967–1975) during the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon. He was later elected governor of Cros ...
, Donald Etiebet, Daniel Archibong, Ibim Princewill, Ernest Atta, Clement Ebri, Ibrahim Kefas, Gregory Agboneni, Umar Faoruk Ahmed, Christopher Osondu,
Donald Duke Donald Duke (born 30 September 1961 in Calabar) is a Nigerian politician. He was the Governor of Cross River State, Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007 and the 2019 Nigeria Presidential candidate for Social Democratic Party, SDP. Perso ...
,
Liyel Imoke Liyel Imoke (born 10 July 1961) was elected governor of Cross River State, Nigeria in April 2007, taking office on 29 May 2007. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Background Liyel Imoke hails from Agbo tribe in Abi Local Go ...
and
Benedict Ayade Ayade Benedict Bengiuoshuye CON was born on the 2nd of March, 1968 and hails from Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State. He holds a B.Sc., LLB, BL, M.Sc., MBA, LLM and a Ph.D. He bagged his PhD at a tender age of 26 from the prest ...
. The Current Governor is
Benedict Ayade Ayade Benedict Bengiuoshuye CON was born on the 2nd of March, 1968 and hails from Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State. He holds a B.Sc., LLB, BL, M.Sc., MBA, LLM and a Ph.D. He bagged his PhD at a tender age of 26 from the prest ...
, who was sworn into office on 29 May 2015. He was re-elected for a second term in office in 2019 under the platform of The People's Democratic Party.


Demographics

The State is composed of several ethnic groups, which include the Efik, the Ejagham, Yakurr, Bahumono, Bette, Yala, Igede,
Ukelle The Ukelle people (''Ba'kelle'') make up roughly half of the population of the Yala Local Government Area in Cross River State, Nigeria . Ukelle people are a sub ethnic group belonging to the Orring people who are also found in Benue in Utonkon, ...
and the Bekwarra among others. There are four major languages spoken in the state: English, the common language, Efik, Bekwarra, and Ejagham. The
Efik language Efik (''Usem Efịk'') is the indigenous language of the Efik people, who are situated in the present-day Cross River state and Akwa Ibom state of Nigeria, as well as in the North-West of Cameroon. The Efik language is mutually intelligible with ...
is widely spoken in Cross River State, especially in Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Akampkpa, Biase, and Odukpani Local Government Areas. The
Ejagham language The Jagham language, ''Ejagham'', also known as Ekoi, is an Ekoid language of Nigeria and Cameroon spoken by the Ekoi people. The E- in Ejagham represents the class prefix for "language", analogous to the Bantu ki- in KiSwahili The Ekoi are one ...
is also widely spoken language in Cross River State. The Efik-speaking people live mainly in the Southern senatorial districts of Cross River, or as it is commonly referred to, the Greater Calabar district, which includes Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, Bakassi, Biase, Akpabuyo, Odukpani, and Akamkpa LGAs. There is also the Qua community in Calabar, which speaks Ejagham. The main Ejagham group occupies mostly the Greater Calabar areas of Calabar Municipality, Odukpani, Biase and Akampkpa sections of Cross River State. There are also the Yakurr /Agoi/ Bahumono ethnic groups in Yakurr and Abi LGA, while the Mbembe are predominantly found in Obubra LGA. Further up the core northern part of the state are several sub-dialectical groups, among which are Etung, Olulumo, Ofutop, Nkim/Nkum, Abanajum, Nseke and Boki in both Ikom, Etung and Boki LGAs. Also, the Yala/Yache, Igede, Ukelle, Ekajuk, Mbube, Bette, Bekwarra and Utukwang people are found in Ogoja, Yala, Obudu and Obanliku and Bekwarra LGA's. The Yala are a subgroup of the Idoma nation, part of the Yala LGA's subgroups are the Igede speaking people believed to have migrated from the Oju part of Benue State, who migrated from Ora, in Edo North. In Cross River North, Bekwarra is one of the most widely spoken language. It is understood by other tribes in the district. This language along with Efik and Ejagham is used for news broadcast in the state owned radio and TV stations. Cross River State epitomises the nation's linguistic and cultural plurality and it is important to note that, in spite of the diversity of dialects, all the indigenous languages in the state have common linguistic roots as Niger–Congo languages. Finally, the State serves as the venue of the largest carnival in Africa.


Local Government Areas

Cross River State consists of eighteen (18)
Local Government Areas A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a state, province, division, or territory. The phrase i ...
. They are: * Abi * Akamkpa *
Akpabuyo Akpabuyo is a Local Government Area of Cross River State ) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , co ...
*
Bekwarra Bekwarra is a Local Government Area in northern Cross River State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is Abuochiche (or Abuo Chiche); a town on the A4 highway. Other towns in the LGA are Abuagbor-Iye, Nyanya-Ulim, Nyanya-Idigwe, Gakem, Itekpa, Ugboro, Ibi ...
* Bakassi * Biase * Boki *
Calabar Municipal Calabar Municipal is a Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the city of Calabar. It has an area of 142 km and a population of 179,392 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 540. Monarch ...
*
Calabar South Calabar South is a Local Government Area of Cross River State ) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , ...
* Etung * Ikom * Obanliku *
Obubra Obubra is a Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross River State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Obubra, which is home to the Ibrahim Babangida College of Agriculture. The National Youth Service Corps, Cross River State Orientation C ...
*
Obudu Obudu is a local government area and town in Cross River State, Nigeria. The area features a tourist resort, Obudu Mountain Resort, which hosts an annual mountain running competition called the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race. The town of O ...
*
Odukpani Odukpani is a Local Government Area in Cross River State, Nigeria. It lies between latitude 5°4'52.46''N and longitude 8°20'59.7''E and has an elevation approximately 413 ft. It is largely populated by the Efik people. President Olusegun ...
*
Ogoja Ogoja is a Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Local Government Area in Cross River State, Nigeria. Its headquarters is Ogoja town in the northeast of the area near the A4 highway (Nigeria), A4 highway at. It has an area of 972 km² and a pop ...
* Yakuur * Yala


Languages

Languages of Cross River State listed by LGA includes : Other languages spoken in Cross State are Eki, Ibibio, Ilue, Ito, and Okobo.


Festivals

Festivals held in Cross River state includes: *The Cross River State Christmas Festival – 1 December to 31 December annually *The Cross River State Carnival Float – 26 and 27 December yearly *The Yakurr Leboku Yam festival – 28 August annually *The Calabar Boat Regata *Anong Bahumono Festival which is held in Anong Village, during which different cultural dances are showcased, including Ikpobin (acclaimed to be the most entertaining dance in the state), Ekoi, Obam, Emukei and Eta * Ediba Bahumono Festival which is held in Ediba Village every last
Saturday Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. No later than the 2nd century, the Romans named Saturday ("Saturn's Day") for the planet Saturn, which controlled the first hour of that day, according to Vettius Valens. The day ...
in the month of
July July is the seventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the fourth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. It was named by the Roman Senate in honour of Roman general Julius Caesar in 44 B.C., it being the mont ...
*Bekwarra, Obudu, Obanliku, Igede New yam festival which is held every 1st Saturday of September every year.


Tourism

From the soaring plateaus of the mountain tops of Obanliku to the Rain forests of Afi, from the Waterfalls of Agbokim and Kwa to the spiralling ox-bow
Calabar River The Calabar River in Cross River State, Nigeria flows from the north past the city of Calabar, joining the larger Cross River about to the south. The river at Calabar forms a natural harbor deep enough for vessels with a draft of . The Calabar ...
which provides sights and images of the Tinapa Business Resort, Calabar Marina, Calabar Residency Museum and the Calabar Slave Park along its course, there is always a thrilling adventure awaiting the eco-tourist visiting Cross River State. Other tourist attractions are the Ikom Monoliths (a series of volcanic-stone monoliths of unknown age), the
Mary Slessor Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
Tomb, Calabar Drill Monkey Sanctuary,
Cross River National Park The Cross River National Park is a national park of Nigeria, located in Cross River State, Nigeria. There are two separate sections, Okwangwo (established 1991) and Oban (established 1988). The park has a total area of about 4,000 km2, most ...
, Afi Mountain walkway canopy, Kwa falls, Agbokim waterfalls, Tinapa Business Resort, Mono rail way and the annual
Calabar Carnival Calabar Carnival is an annual carnival held in Cross River State, Nigeria. The carnival holds every December and was declared by the then governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke as an activity to mark Christmas celebration yearly. He said ...
that takes place during the
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
period. Cross River State can be accessed by air through the
Margaret Ekpo International Airport Margaret Ekpo International Airport , also known as Calabar Airport, is an airport serving Calabar, the capital of the Cross River State in Nigeria. The airport is named after Margaret Ekpo, who was one of Nigeria's pioneering feminist and anticol ...
at Calabar. There are daily flights to Calabar from Lagos and Abuja serviced by airlines such as
Air peace Air Peace is a private Nigerian airline founded in 2013 with its head office in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, the flag carrier and the largest airline of Nigeria and West Africa. Air Peace, which provides passenger and charter services, serves the ...
Airlines,
Ibom Air Ibom Air is a Nigerian airline owned by the Akwa Ibom State Government. History The airline commenced operations on June 7 2019 when a Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft marked with the Ibom Air name took off from Victor Attah International Airport ( IA ...
Airlines and recently Cally Air, operated by Aero Contractors which worked for about 5 months in 2021 and at the start of 2022, it stopped operation. Reason is still unknown.


Education

Education started with mother tongue education. Presently, a lot of schools in the state for educative learning in the society. The Tertiary educational institutions in the State includes: *
University of Calabar The University of Calabar is a public university situated in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. It is one of Nigeria's second generation federal universities. The University of Calabar was a campus of the University of Nigeria until 1975. Th ...
, * Cross River State University of Technology * College of Health Technology,
Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language. The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and c ...
*
Ibrahim Babangida College of Agriculture The Ibrahim Babangida College of Agriculture is a tertiary educational institution in Obubra, Cross River State, Nigeria. 20 million naira was allocated for infrastructure development in 2001, but only 3.9 million was reported as spent. No further a ...
,
Obubra Obubra is a Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross River State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Obubra, which is home to the Ibrahim Babangida College of Agriculture. The National Youth Service Corps, Cross River State Orientation C ...
* Cross River State College of Education located, Akamkpa * Federal College of Education,
Obudu Obudu is a local government area and town in Cross River State, Nigeria. The area features a tourist resort, Obudu Mountain Resort, which hosts an annual mountain running competition called the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race. The town of O ...
* Technical College Ugep, Yakurr * Arthur Jarvis University,
Akpabuyo Akpabuyo is a Local Government Area of Cross River State ) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , co ...


See also

*
Tinapa Resort Tinapa is a business and leisure resort located North of Calabar municipality, Cross River State, Nigeria associated with the Calabar Free Trade Zone. It was developed in four phases under a Private Public Partnership (PPP) promoted by the Gove ...
*
Akwa Akpa Duke Town, originally known as Atakpa is an Efik people, Efik city-state that flourished in the 19th century in what is now southern Nigeria. The City State extended from now Calabar to Bakassi in the east and Oron (state), Oron to the west. Altho ...
*
Cross River language The Cross River or Delta–Cross languages are a branch of the Benue–Congo language family spoken in south-easternmost Nigeria, with some speakers in south-westernmost Cameroon. The branch was first formulated by Joseph Greenberg; it is one of ...


References


External links


Cross River State Government website
* http://crossriverwatch.com/?p=25473 {{Portal bar, Nigeria States of Nigeria States and territories established in 1967 Coasts of Nigeria French-speaking countries and territories