With the gazetting of and the success of TINAPA, the Cross River State is embarking on another gargantuan project—the Calabar Energy City, which experts say will change the industrial face of the state. Mary Ekah writes

From its record-breaking prowess as the home to the most firsts in Nigeria such as TINAPA - Nigeria’s first and biggest business and leisure resort - Cross River State, under Governor Liyel Imoke, is working on the promotion of one of Africa’s biggest energy sector logistic facilities – the Calabar Energy City (CEC). In a world where economies are becoming more dependent on disruptive innovation, and where all desire economic advancement, Imoke displays a rare sense of leadership ingenuity with the CEC project.
The multi-million dollar project, with great potential to provide logistics support for energy sector activities and create employment in its region and beyond, aims to establish Calabar as a viable, conducive and secure location in which energy sector and related industrial and service activity can be executed. The CEC’s support for energy development was made known through its commitment to be part of the prestigious Nigeria Oil and Gas summit, NOG’09, scheduled for February 23rd – 26th, 2009 at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The summit, which is one of the largest oil and gas gatherings in Africa, offers business opportunities. The CEC’s participation in the summit will enable the project get the desired recognition in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. Calabar Energy City (CEC) will be part of the exhibition that will comprise all operators’ service companies and suppliers of products and services to Nigeria's oil and gas industries. At the summit which will be declared open with an inaugural address by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, the Calabar Energy City and the Cross River State Government will be participating as gold sponsors.
Over 16 countries around the world participated in the summit last year, with Nigeria having the highest percentage of participants followed by the United Kingdom and the United States of America. This year’s summit promises to be larger and more interesting as participants from China, Canada, France, South Africa, Belgium, Denmark among other countries will be in attendance.
The Calabar Energy City, which has been quietly in development since 2007, is now being implemented in two phases. Phase I will comprise the Eco-Industrial Park, located on 376 hectares in the prime Ekorinim Peninsular, Calabar along the Calabar River Channel, close to the Calabar Port Complex. It will provide leases of infrastructure and facilities for carrying out energy sector industrial logistics, training and other activities. On its Phase II, located on 600 hectares of prime land north of Calabar opposite the Tinapa Business Resort, comprises various zones for residential, sporting, cultural, religious, educational and commercial uses.
The industrial area is the core of the project and is the primary reason for promoting the energy city. However, both areas will be served by utility and infrastructure service designed, built, operated and maintained to the highest standards. Full master planning and engineering design for both phases have been undertaken and preliminary works for the reclamation of the Phase I area are now underway.
The Cross River State Government is adopting a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, whereby the project and its assets and liabilities are constituted and ring-fenced in a limited liability special purpose vehicle; the land and world class utility and security infrastructure will be provided by the State Government; and the private sector, through a number of concessions, will design, finance, build and manage the residential, commercial and industrial facilities.
The State Government will also ensure critical political and facilitation support via ensuring that the active support of relevant Federal MDAs is secured and maintained. The CEC project will involve the development of major high profile and multi-faceted infrastructure on a scale not previously undertaken hitherto in Nigeria.
It is being developed into one of Nigeria’s most technologically advanced developments, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and services, set for a diverse mix of energy sector companies, multiple customers and service providers working in a vibrant, innovative and absolutely secure environment, facilitating the development of the energy industry and particularly the National Content Development Policy of the Federal Government.
The Calabar Energy City project is an important element of Imoke’s Cross River State Economic Blueprint drafted and published a year ago. The blueprint sets out a passionate vision aimed at positively transforming the lives of Cross Riverians and propelling the state towards becoming the preferred destination for business and leisure in Nigeria. The structured wholeness of the CEC project, its strong alignment with the State Economic Blueprint and, above all, its execution adopting a well-defined PPP structure, will enhance the project’s completion and world-class management while ensuring that government’s participation and financial commitment to the project are directed towards its core competences of marketing the project, providing strong political support and establishing critical infrastructure and security support to underpin cost-effective operations.
Having consistently displayed selflessness in service in his developmental drives for Cross River State, there is no doubt how far Imoke will go in his mission to transform the state. It is noteworthy that since assumption of office, his commitment to advancing the state has crystallised into the evolution of an array of well-focused developmental projects some of which are highlighted. For instance, the infrastructural development of the state, with the planned expansion of the Margaret Ekpo International Airport in Calabar via a collaborative effort with the Federal Government is a remarkable step that has received commendation from both within Cross River State and beyond.
With the inauguration of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, the same collaboration will be deployed to revamping the over 350km of road access to Cross River State, while also focusing in the long-term on establishing a rail link into Calabar. The State Government has also continued the programme of urban renewal and expansion that has been going on across the state since 1999 with visible and value-enhancing results across the State capital, Calabar, and major towns of Ugep, Ikom, Obudu and Ogoja.
At the same time, given its demographics which has almost 65 per cent of its population living in rural areas, the establishment of the State Rural Development Agency, the State Electrification Agency and the State Border Communities Development Agency with well-defined mandates bears testimony to the government’s focus on enabling its agrarian rural population to have direct access to markets and wider opportunities for well-generation.
Thus, the State Government is well on the way to completing the electrification of all villages in the state (from a starting point of 15 per cent in 1999 and 60 per cent in 2007); achieving a stock of 700 km of rural roads annually (430km was done in 2008); ensuring that all secondary schools achieve a “Cross River State Standard” that encompasses aesthetics of school buildings, facilities and equipment in class rooms and laboratories; teacher/student ratios and qualifications of teachers; and providing free healthcare to rural dwellers below a defined income threshold.
All these are supported by a robust identity management system rolled out across the state with the active support and collaboration of the National Identity Management Commission. All of these signify the establishment of a functional social welfare system and demonstrates the government’s comprehensive appreciation of the definite connection between the availability of infrastructure and the generation of wealth and widespread socio-economic development.
The Imoke-led government of Cross River State is not relenting on its stated vision of becoming “the leading Nigerian State”. The administration has expressed its readiness to host the U-17 World Cup competition. The renovation and upgrading of the U.J. Esuene Stadium received a pass mark and commendation by the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who doubles as the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC). While expressing the state’s readiness to host the prestigious event, the Vice President did not fail to confirm the state’s wonderful hospitality sector, noting that Calabar has some of the best hotels to conveniently host the players, officials and guests.
Cross River State is apparently the first and only state in Nigeria that has run a successful branding campaign. The state’s branding platform – Destination CrossRiver—has proved to be a powerful tool for driving the state’s economy from strength to strength. Presently, under the Destination CrossRiver platform, the state’s brand equity has grown with an incredible top of the mind recall that ranks it among the best public sector brands.
The investments opportunities of the state are numerous and same are receiving the desired attention from government the government through well thought-out investment promotion policies and programmes coordinated by an investment promotion bureau. The Calabar Carnival has attained a global reputation as one of the world’s most colourful carnivals. The Carnival is a key highlight in the annual December Festival calendar, which includes musical performances from local and international artists, colourful boat regattas, fashion shows, a beauty pageant, a children’s carnival with over 10,000 costumed children on a six kilometer stretch.
The 2008 Carnival attained new heights in organisation and participation, with an adult road march with over 15,000 band members in fancy costumes parading and performing along the twelve-kilometer route watched live by a national audience via NTA and AIT and a global audience via Channel ‘O’, the Africa Magic Channel and CNN. The Carnival also involves a walk against HIV/AIDS in which the governor, his deputy, all members of the executive council participates.
In all of these, the Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Obioma Liyel-Imoke is not left out. She has also been actively involved in supporting the Governor and uplifting the state through the Partnership Opportunities for Women Empowerment Realisation (POWER)—a project targeted at women. The project has helped women in all 18 local governments discover their potentials for optimum productivity.
For whatever it is worth, the giant strides of Imoke in the advancement of CrossRiver State continue to expand in leaps and bounds. With major infrastructure projects such as the Calabar Energy City taking up substantial time and effort in ensuring that the various stakeholders critical to its realisation work together, one can only wish him and Cross Riverians well.

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