Cross River Lawmakers Seek Special Fund to Revive Student Scholarships

The Cross River State House of Assembly is pushing for the revival of scholarship and bursary programmes to support students in the state.

During plenary on Friday in Calabar, Mrs. Mercy Apama, representing Yakurr II Constituency, expressed concern that the state had gone eight years without a functioning scholarship scheme. She moved a motion for the state’s scholarship board to resume awarding scholarships to deserving students—both those who excel academically and those lacking financial resources.

Apama also urged the board to actively source funding from public-spirited individuals, private companies, NGOs, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and other bodies to finance the programmes. She warned that without urgent action, the state’s efforts to build manpower through education could be undermined.

The motion received strong backing from co-sponsor and Deputy Leader of the 10th Assembly, Mr. Davis Etta, along with other lawmakers, who agreed that reinstating scholarships and bursaries would significantly boost educational development in Cross River State.