Monthly Archives: November 2025

SEN. PROFESSOR STEPHEN ODEY RECEIVES ACCOLADES AS YACHE COMMUNITY IN ABUJA HONOURS HIM WITH A GRAND RECEPTION

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The Yache Community in Abuja on Saturday, November 15, 2025, hosted a grand reception in honour of the Cross River State Commissioner for Education, Senator Professor Stephen Odey, to celebrate his elevation to the prestigious rank of Professor. The well-attended ceremony was organized to promote peace, love, unity, growth, and the overall development of the Yache Nation—values the community noted that Professor Odey has consistently championed.

The Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Danladi Jato (Ubangari Kokona), graced the occasion and described Professor Odey as “a man of peace and a strong advocate of development.” He urged the Yache community to continue supporting him and to remain committed to collective progress.

Delivering the opening remarks on behalf of the Yache Advocates for Peace and Unity, Abuja Front, Hon. Prince George Ogonyi congratulated Professor Odey on his academic elevation to the rank of Professor. He commended his unwavering passion for championing peace, unity, and development across Yache Nation and beyond. Ogonyi praised the Professor for his outstanding selfless service to humanity and acknowledged him for attracting the highest number of infrastructural and human capital development projects to the Yache people.
“Yache is relatively peaceful today courtesy of Prof. Odey’s efforts in peace building across the six clans of Yache Nation,” he added.

The colourful celebration featured goodwill messages, cultural performances, and entertainment displays showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Yache people.

In his remarks, Professor Odey expressed deep appreciation for the show of love, acknowledging the presence of high-ranking dignitaries and the overwhelming turnout of community members. He described the gathering as “a profound demonstration of love for me and my family.”

He emphasized the continued need for unity within Yache Nation, noting that “love among the Yache people is paramount, and peace must always remain a top priority.” Reiterating his message, he added, “we are stronger and better together.”

As part of his goodwill gesture, Professor Odey presented 100 quality wax wrappers to women and made significant cash donations to men and women of the Yache Community in Abuja. He urged them to continue promoting peace and to sustain the support for the administration of Governor Bassey Otu, whom he described as a leader committed to transforming Cross River State.
Highlighting the ongoing road construction and the Akreha–Okpoku Bridge project, Professor Odey assured the community that as one of the passionate leaders who attracted the projects, he would ensure their successful completion.

The event attracted an impressive lineup of dignitaries from across the country, including:

Rt. Hon. Dr. Danladi Jato, Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly

High Chief Higgins, business mogul and friend of the Governor

Dr. Mrs. Beatrice Igwe, Commissioner for Housing, Cross River State

Hon. Moses Osogi, Commissioner for Environment, Cross River State

Hon. Patrick Egbede, Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cross River State

Hon. Gabriel Bravo Oluohu, APC stakeholder

Hon. Prince Tony Bisong, Director, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs

Justice Emmanuel Ekaya Odibu, Judge of the High Court

Hon. John Monday Odo, Director, Cross River State Road Maintenance Agency

Hon. Idiku David, former Council Secretary, Yala LGA and  Yache ward stakeholder

Hon Christopher Mohie, Councillor representing Yache ward

Hon. Barr. Paul Okwo, former Councillor and Yache Ward stakeholder

HRH Chief Demian Ododo, Chairman, Yache Traditional Rulers Council

Elder Okpoli, representative, Yache Council of Elders

…and several other notable personalities who delivered goodwill messages appreciating the bond of love, unity, peace, and development among the Yache people and their leader, Professor Odey.

The ceremony was widely described as a memorable celebration of achievement, unity, and communal pride for the Yache Nation.

By SaintAugustine Adula Odey

C’RIVER GOVERNMENT APPROVES STATEWIDE IMPLEMENTATION OF STEAM CLUBS AND QUIZARLY DIGITAL LEARNING PLATFORM IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

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The Cross River State Government has approved the statewide implementation of STEAM Clubs and the Quizarly Digital Learning Ecosystem across all secondary schools both public and private making the state a trailblazer in educational innovation in Nigeria.

The approval followed a high-level presentation by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Students Advocacy, Dr. AbasiOfiok Akpabio Okhunlun, in collaboration with Dahel Technologies (Dahel Consultants and Techies), to the Commissioner for Education, Senator Professor Stephen Odey, and the Ministry’s management.

The initiative signals the dawn of a new era in learning, one that fuses creativity with technology, equipping Cross River students for success in the global digital economy. The journey toward this milestone began with the Cross River Students Academic-thon Challenge, a statewide quiz competition that revealed a critical learning gap: while science students excelled, often supported by JET Clubs, arts students lacked similar platforms to harness their creative and analytical potential.

Dahel Technologies developed Quizarly, a home-grown digital quiz and learning platform, and proposed the creation of STEAM Clubs integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics to give every student, regardless of discipline, the opportunity to innovate, compete, and create.

Key Components of the Initiative

  1. Quizarly – The Digital Backbone:
    A 24/7 interactive learning and competition platform accessible to all secondary schools in Cross River State. It tracks student performance in key examinations such as WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and JAMB, promotes collaboration, and hosts state-wide academic contests.
  2. STEAM Clubs – The Innovation Hubs:
    To be established in all schools to nurture skills in robotics, coding, design, storytelling, public speaking, vocational learning, and creative problem-solving.
  3. AI & Digital Literacy Program:
    Provides early exposure to Artificial Intelligence, digital creativity, and technology-enabled learning for students.

The initiative is designed to be inclusive, interactive, and transformative for both public and private schools, with long-term benefits including job creation, teacher capacity building, and positioning Cross River as a national hub for educational technology (EdTech) innovation.

Senator Professor Stephen Odey speaking after the presentation, described the project as “a major step in modernizing education and aligning learning in Cross River State with the global knowledge economy.” He further reaffirmed Governor Bassey Otu’s commitment to educational reform and technological advancement across the state.

“This isn’t just a digital platform — it’s a movement,” she said. “We are building the future of education, one school at a time.”

Mr. David Francis Effiong, who led the Dahel Technologies team, expressed readiness to roll out the project, confirming that implementation frameworks, teacher onboarding, student registration, and club activation would commence immediately as he assured that the digital systems were fully developed and designed to deliver measurable educational impact statewide.

Dr. Akpabio thanked the Professor Odey – the Commissioner for granting her and her team the opportunity to make the presentation, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to youth development through innovation.

With this approval, Cross River State becomes the first in Nigeria to officially adopt STEAM Clubs and a government-backed digital learning ecosystem across all secondary schools, setting a new benchmark for technology-driven education and creative learning in the country.

The approval of the STEAM Clubs and Quizarly Project represents more than an educational reform, it is a strategic leap into the future of learning, innovation, and digital sustainability. By investing in the minds of its young people, Cross River State is building not just classrooms, but creators; not just students, but solution providers.

By SaintAugustine Adula Odey

November 12, 2025

FELICITATION ON YOUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY AS CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN OF YALA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

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As we celebrate your 1st Year Anniversary in office, we, the members of the Executive Council, Yala Local Government Area, extend our heartfelt congratulations to you and your humble Vice Chairman, Sir!

Your leadership has been a beacon of hope and progress for our people. Your dedication, passion, and commitment to the development of Yala LGA have been truly inspiring. Your visionary approach has brought new dimensions to our governance, and we are proud to serve under your guidance.

We acknowledge the significant strides you’ve made in improving the lives of our people, including:

– Provision of access roads to rural communities, enhancing economic and social activities.
– Renovation of health centers, improving healthcare delivery.
– Provision of portable water to rural areas in collaboration with RUWATSA, improving access to clean water.
– Renovation and furnishing of political and legislative buildings and offices, enhancing service delivery.
– Acquisition of a mini tractor to boost agricultural productivity and efficiency.
– Successful facilitation of Project GROW, empowering our people and fostering economic growth.
– Maintenance of relative peace among communities through pragmatic reconciliation efforts.

Notably, your administration is part of the State Government’s effort to attract an Agricultural Transformation Centre to be sited in Okuku, Yala LGA, which is set to commence soon. This, and other projects in the pipeline, demonstrate your commitment to the welfare of our people and the development of our local government area.

Your leadership style, characterized by inclusiveness, empathy, commitment, and wisdom, has earned you the respect and admiration of all. As we celebrate this milestone, we reaffirm our commitment to working with you to realize your vision for Yala LGA. We pray for continued guidance and strength as you continue to lead our beloved local government area in line with the People’s First Administration of His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State.

Happy 1st Anniversary, Sir!

Signed,
Members, Yala Local Government Area Executive Council

TACKLING LEARNING GAPS: C’RIVER STATE GOVERNMENT PARTNERS WORLD BANK TO BOOST LITERACY AND NUMERACY AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

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The Cross River State Government, in collaboration with the World Bank’s Project HOPE Education, has concluded a three-day intensive training workshop aimed at bridging learning gaps in English and Mathematics across primary schools in the state. The workshop, themed “Enhancing Pedagogical Practices for Effective Teaching and Learning of English and Mathematics in Primary Schools,” was held simultaneously from October 29–31, 2025, at the Teachers Continuous Training Institute (TCTI) in Biase, as well as in Ikom and Ogoja. The decentralized format enabled hundreds of primary school teachers from the three senatorial districts to participate in the high-level capacity-building exercise.

Addressing participants, the Commissioner for Education, Senator Professor Stephen Odey, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continuous teacher development as part of Governor Bassey Otu’s People-First Agenda.

“This program is a professional training development circle put together under His Excellency, Senator (Prince) Bassey Otu’s People-First mantra and commitment to teacher professional growth,” Professor Odey stated, emphasizing that the goal is to produce “competent and resourceful faculty members capable of delivering quality education.”

Citing national statistics showing that about 45.8 million Nigerian children aged 5–14 years are unable to read and understand a simple text — a 76 percent learning deprivation rate nationwide — the Commissioner noted that the World Bank-assisted programme is designed to tackle such foundational learning challenges head-on.

The Chairperson of the Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (CR-SUBEB), Barr. (Mrs.) Fidelia Okpo-Ene, commended TCTI for its modern training facilities and announced a continuous partnership between CR-SUBEB and TCTI to further enhance teachers’ pedagogical skills.

Also speaking, the Director-General of TCTI, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, a former World Bank consultant and Minister of Sports and Special Duties, described the training as one that adds “immeasurable value” to classroom delivery and strengthens the basic education system. He lauded Governor Otu for prioritizing teachers’ professional development and the World Bank for its sustained support to the state’s education reforms.

The World Bank’s Senior Education Specialist, Dr. Adekunle Adekola, expressed delight at the collaboration, noting that Governor Otu is one of the few leaders who recognize education as a key driver of economic growth. He urged the state to key into the World Bank’s HOPE Governance Initiative to sustain the gains achieved through the Project HOPE Education program. The workshop is the latest in a series of professional development initiatives organized for teachers since the establishment of TCTI four years ago, reaffirming Cross River State’s leadership in education sector reform and teacher empowerment.

By SaintAugustine Adula Odey

November 3, 2025