By Ikechukwu Samuel
Cross River State Government has projected the creation of between 800 and 1,000 direct jobs within the next one month as newly approved public-private partnership (PPP) projects move into implementation.
The Senior Special Adviser to the Cross River State Governor, Dr. Francis Ntamu, disclosed this during an interview on Arise TV, saying the immediate employment target represents the first phase of a broader job creation plan linked to the state’s expanding investment pipeline.
Ntamu said the projects have completed due diligence and reached the final investment decision stage, with agreement signing expected to precede implementation.
“Within the range of 800 to 1,000 within the next one month. That’s happening.”
He explained that employment would rise as the projects gain momentum, projecting that direct job creation could reach between 6,000 and 8,000 jobs around the midpoint of the concession periods.
“Midpoint through the concession period, we are imagining that the direct actual job contribution will be in the range of 6,000 to 7,000 to 8,000.”
According to Ntamu, the projects cover agriculture, livestock, infrastructure, tourism and other sectors, with the government using private investment to expand economic activity and create sustainable employment opportunities.
He highlighted the agricultural value chain, including rice production and cultivation, as one of the areas expected to generate jobs and stimulate rural economic activity.
Ntamu also cited a poultry project with a production capacity of up to 30,000 birds, which he said is expected to commence within the next month.
“The key entry of this intervention is job creation, infrastructure development.”
The governor’s aide said the PPP programme is designed to go beyond conventional salaried employment by creating opportunities for entrepreneurship and ownership.
“Our destination is not just a job, but to create an owner-led sustainability arrangement that can enable people to run, have a rural economy on their own.”
The employment projection comes amid Cross River’s wider investment drive, with the state pursuing PPP projects worth more than $1 billion, alongside major naira-denominated investments.
Among the flagship projects is the ₦60 billion redevelopment of the Obudu Mountain Resort, while a $42 million water infrastructure project is also expected to improve water supply across the state.
Ntamu said the investments would help attract private capital, improve infrastructure, expand economic opportunities and strengthen the state’s revenue base.
