Skip to content
Calitown

Calitown

News, Here, Everytime!

  • Home
  • News
    • Cross River News
  • Features
  • Community
  • Inspirational
  • Toggle search form
  • C’River: Two Beheaded In Renewed Ochon–Ofutop Communal Clash News
  • CRSG Shuts Down 36 Illegal Schools, More Schools May Follow! News
  • “God Will Give Gov. Otu Good Health, Long Life” – Osogi News
  • CRSG Splash N50 Million, Plot Of Land On Victorious National Female Footballer Miracle Usani News
  • Cross River PDP Faction Says Wike No Longer Party Member News
  • The taskforce, during inauguration.
    CRS Inaugurates Taskforce To Monitor & Shut Down Illegal Schools  News
  • CR Police Foil Suspects Attempt To Sneak Snatched Vehicle Out Of Calabar  News
  • Nnaji’s Rising Political Profile, Reason For The Media Attack News

Cross Riverian Offers Ayade Advice On 10 Ways To Make Cally Air Work

Posted on April 7, 2021 By Admin No Comments on Cross Riverian Offers Ayade Advice On 10 Ways To Make Cally Air Work
Ceejay Ojong

While the Ben Ayade administration and Cross Riverians bask in the euphoria of the planned commencement of commercial flight operations by the state government following the arrival in the country of the aircraft recently acquired for this purpose, cerebral Abuja based economist and Cross Riverian, Ceejay Ojong, has advanced 10 ways to make the Cally Air initiative work. He writes:

1. It is to my mind a very good initiative if well managed. It sure holds enormous potentials for revenue generation, employment creation, local capacity-buiding, foreign investment attraction and global marketing of brand Cross River State.

2. Apart from coffee export, leather works and tourism, Ethiopia as a country thrives mainly on its airline business that has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years. We can surely study their airline business model and borrow a good leaf from their good practices.

3. Beyond the unsatisfied local market, there is a big unserviced market of direct flights from Nigeria/West Africa to the capitals of Central and East African Countries. Calabar is uniquely positioned to take advantage if the right things are done. I believe such an idea had previously been mooted during the OBJ/Donald Duke era with some sort of agreement for the expansion of the Margaret Ekpo International Airport in Calabar officially reached.

4. It is a capital intensive undertaking no doubt. However, if single individuals have already been owning and operating airline business in Nigeria I see no reason why a committed and serious State cannot partner with private investors both local and foreign to ride the crest.

5. I appreciate the cynicism of some of our people. For them, H. E. has never lacked big and brilliant ideas but the devil has always been in the planning and execution details that have so far seemed not to deliver the envisaged results just in time.

6. For me, the issue has been more about not using smart and modern investment and project financing options to make the big dreams a reality. Monthly FAAC allocations to the State can hardly sustain the financing of projects of such magnitude. Direct borrowing is not only inefficient but may not be immediately feasible owing to the financial and fiscal fragility that our State currently faces. We therefore have to innovate or allow the financial quagmire suffuse us – God forbid!

7. Nevertheless, our State is gifted with bountiful natural resources that we can easily generate over US$3 – 5 billion annually for a start with so much that is lying waste, idle or unemployed in the State viz: palm (Oils and several derivatives), rubber (tyres manufacturing), cocoa (chocolate and cocoa butter), gmelina and teak plantations (paper industry from gmelina and currency notes manufacturing from teak), bananas, pineapples, hard wood (furniture industry – imagine concentrating on producing ultra modern school desks and furniture for primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions in Nigeria), trawling in our territorial and international waters – fisheries/sea foods for local consumption and export, etc.

8. Think of how much ice-fish and canned fish (mackerel and sardines) that are being consumed daily across our country. Almost everything is either being directly imported or sold to us by foreign nationals fishing in our territorial and international waters because of our laxity and lack of participation. The Navy of South Africa in same African continent would shoot to death and destroy any person and vessels fishing in their international waters.

9. Commercial planting of cassava and soya beans in the meantime along the about 275 km long and at least 1 km wide super highway route can on its own generate over US$3.5 billion over the next 3 years. This will provide the needed funds for not only building the superhighway in the medium to long-term but also surplus cash for infrastructure upgrade and improving the quality of lives and livelihoods.

10. Nigeria the largest producer of cassava in the world produces about 45 million metric tons annually and consumes it all. Indonesia the third largest producer in the world earned about US$1.98 billion from selling 22 million metric tons of its about 30 million metric tons annual cassava production as at end-FY 2018. About 185 million metric tons are required in global markets annually. There is a yawning demand gap to be filled. Just a little effort, planning and commitment can get us to taking the export sales lead and earn windfall revenues.

Share this post:

Share on X (Twitter) Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Email Share on WhatsApp Share on Telegram
Cross River News, Features, News Tags:Ben Ayade, Cally Air, Ceejay Ojong

Post navigation

Previous Post: Unease As Ayade Fights Back, Makes Last Gasp Political Survival Move!
Next Post: “Tina’s Bolé Is Fantastic…A Great Initiative” – Sandy Onoh

Related Posts

  • Police Storm Marina Resort, Arrest Squatters Cross River News
  • “It Is Not Only In Politics That Youths Can Earn A Living” – Obono-Obla News
  • CR Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, Redeployed Cross River News
  • 101 Unical Graduates Lose NYSC Certificates Cross River News
  • PR Body Set For Master Class 5, MCPD Training Cross River News
  • Julius Berger Truck Kills Two In Ugep News

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent Comments

  • Ben John on Ikom/Calabar Highway: Hellish Times Continue
  • Jane Luka Lamba on Edgerley, My Edgerley: With Nostalgia I Remember Edgerley!
  • CHATS on Politicians, Supporters Besiege PDP Office, Ndoma-Egba Backs Out Of Ward Congress
  • Michael on See Full List Of 24 Academic Staff In Unical Promoted To Professorial Cadre

ADVERT: Click to Watch!

https://calitown.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/VID-20170928-WA0003.mp4
  • IMOKE To JOHN GAUL: “Don’t Pursue This Matter Any Further In The Courts” Breaking News
  • National Youth Council Of Nigeria Elections…Aspirant Sends Petition To Gov. Ayade Cross River News
  • C’River House Of Reps Member Resigns From PDP, Set To Join APC Cross River News
  • See Pictures Of APC Chieftain’s Thanksgiving And Installation! Cross River News
  • Zoning : C’River North APC To Boycott Party Activities Cross River News
  • Ayade, Dansuki, Ochinke & Others Drag Opponents To Elections Petition Tribunal Cross River News
  • Chiwetalu Agu, Nollywood Stars, Storm COE, Akamkpa News
  • 3RD ANNIVERSARY: HIT 95.9 FM Lines Up Radio Stations Vs. Entertainers Football Match Cross River News

CALITOWN
...News, Here, Everytime

Quick Menu

  • Home
  • News
    • Cross River News
  • Features
  • Community
  • Inspirational

Copyright © 2021 calitown
172 Greenwood Avenue , Hull. East Yorkshire. HU6 9NY

Powered by PressBook News WordPress theme