By Onwa Ekor
Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, has flagged off the development of the state’s maiden Climate Transition Plan to drive green economy, strengthen climate resilience and protect biodiversity.
Otu, who chairs the State Council on Climate Change, was represented by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, at the inaugural workshop held Tuesday, at the State Library Complex, Calabar.
He described climate change as an urgent economic, environmental and developmental challenge that requires coordinated action by government, private sector and local communities.
The governor said the initiative aligns with his administration’s People First agenda and will provide a strategic framework to address changing weather patterns, unpredictable agricultural cycles and ecological displacement.
He noted that Cross River occupies a strategic position in Nigeria’s conservation efforts, hosting over 50 per cent of the country’s remaining tropical rainforests, with valuable mangrove ecosystems and rich biodiversity that must be deliberately protected.
According to him, the plan will begin with four baseline assessments across the 18 local government areas, covering greenhouse gas emissions, climate risks and vulnerabilities, climate finance and mitigation strategies to establish reliable data for evidence-based action.
Otu thanked Future Funds, the Under2 Coalition and the Climate Group for providing the seed grant for the assessments, and acknowledged the contributions of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to the state’s environmental and green development initiatives.
He charged heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), local government chairmen, civil society organisations, community representatives and private sector stakeholders to actively participate in the process, stressing that its success depends on reliable data, collective ownership and practical implementation.
He also called on financial institutions and private sector partners to explore green financing, green bonds and sustainable business models to support the state’s transition to a greener economy.
The governor disclosed that the workshop would also review and finalise the first-order drafts of the Cross River Climate Change Policy and Action Plan and the Green Economy Policy and Action Plan, urging participants to produce a practical, inclusive and evidence-based framework that protects natural resources, strengthens livelihoods and creates economic opportunities.
Earlier, Director-General of the State Council on Climate Change, Dr. Edu Effiom, commended Otu for establishing the council and providing political leadership for climate governance in the state.
Effiom said the workshop would kick-start the development of the Climate Transition Plan, review its zero draft and commence baseline studies across the 18 LGAs, adding that participation of MDAs and council chairmen was critical to providing sector-specific data to shape targets and policy priorities.
She stressed that climate action must be integrated into government budgets and local development plans for effective implementation.
In a goodwill message, the Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the State Planning Commission, Dr. Bong Duke, described the initiative as a significant milestone in the state’s pursuit of long-term socio-economic resilience.
The Commission said the Climate Transition Plan should not be treated merely as environmental policy but as a central framework for future economic development, with climate adaptation and mitigation integrated into infrastructure planning, budgeting and sectoral strategies.
