The government of Cross River has approved the release of N700 million as a subsidy for Arabica and Rubusta coffee seedlings to be distributed to smallholder farmers in the state.

The commissioner for information, Erasmus Ekpang, disclosed this in a statement made in Calabar on Friday.

Mr Ekpang said that the approval was given during the State Executive Council meeting, adding that the subsidy was part of the efforts aimed at boosting coffee production in the state.

It would be recalled that the state had earlier held a conference for the development of cocoa and coffee, where it decided to subsidise coffee seedlings from N1,000 to N300 per seedling.

He stated that the meeting, presided over by Governor Bassey Otu, called on the state’s ministry of education to embark on a state-wide shutdown of illegal and unaccredited schools.

Mr Ekpang stated that the idea was to uphold standards and checkmate the alarming rate of proliferation of illegal schools and also sanitise the education system in line with quality assurance guidelines.

He noted that in the area of tourism, the governor affirmed the determination of his administration to rebuild all the tourism sites in line with global standards for optimal utilisation.

He added that a technical committee, headed by a tourism expert, Fidelis Ugbo, had been set up to revive the NorthFest Cultural Festival and bring it up to standard in the state’s tourism calendar.

“Also, the 2025 Christmas Festival, with the theme “Traces of Time”, will be the last to be funded by the state.

“This is because our current revitalisation efforts would continue to attract huge sponsorship deals that will bridge this funding gap, thus reducing the burden on the state,” he said.

Speaking further, he said that the council also approved the release of N18 billion as investment in Sustainable Tourism Transformation Initiatives.

He said it would guarantee a full-scale infrastructural upgrade of facilities at the Obudu Mountain Resort, Kwa Falls, Marina Resort and the Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort.

He added that there would also be a rehabilitation of Amber Tinapa Hotel and Studio Tinapa, construction of Pier Harbour, launch of Experience Calabar Tours, creation of a Heritage Market for Arts and Crafts, amongst other initiatives.

(NAN)