By Frank Ulom
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The Cross River State Government has called on development partners operating in the state to improve transparency and coordination by clearly reporting the scope and impact of their interventions.
The Commissioner for the Ministry of International Donor Coordination, Elder Dr Hippolatus Lukpata, made the call while declaring open the March 2026 Development Partners meeting held at the Cuso International office in Nsefik Layout, off Marian Road, Calabar.
Lukpata urged partners to demonstrate a clear understanding of the need to inform the government about the quality and percentage of their contributions to development projects across the various locations where they operate.
He explained that such disclosures would strengthen cooperation between the state government and development organisations, ensuring that interventions are effectively aligned with the needs of citizens.
“The government must be aware of what each partner is contributing to the development of the state and the specific areas where these interventions are taking place,” Lukpata said.
He further encouraged development partners to deepen collaboration by sharing experiences, lessons learnt, and field challenges during coordination meetings.
According to him, open discussions and timely submission of reports would enable stakeholders to resolve operational challenges and improve the delivery of services to beneficiaries.
The commissioner also stressed the importance of submitting annual work plans to the ministry, noting that this would enable government officials to properly monitor project implementation across communities.
“The success of our coordination efforts will be more effective when partners submit their annual work plans. This will allow the ministry to follow up on field activities and track the progress of each project operating in the state,” he stated.
Lukpata added that the government remained keenly interested in assessing what had been achieved through development projects implemented in Cross River.
He noted that the ministry would soon present reports on achievements recorded through some projects that have demonstrated strong commitment to the state’s development goals.
The commissioner also reminded Civil Society Organisations to align their activities with the administration’s governance philosophy, particularly Governor Bassey Otu’s “People First” mantra.
During the meeting, the Technical Head of the Labour Intensive Public Workfare programme, Mr Finan Okama, provided an update on recent government actions aimed at improving workers’ welfare.
Okama disclosed that Governor Bassey Otu had approved an increase in the salaries of street sweepers in the state from ₦10,000 to ₦20,000, a policy that has already been implemented.
He further revealed that the workers would soon receive personal protective equipment to enhance their safety while performing their duties.
According to him, the welfare gesture will also be extended to staff of other urban development centres located in the Central and Northern Senatorial Districts of the state.
The meeting also featured presentations from development organisations, including SelfHelp Africa and the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) project, alongside progress updates from several development partners.
In his vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of International Donor Coordination, Dr Balingwo Ofegobi, commended participants for their strong turnout and the quality of deliberations.
He noted that the resolutions reached during the meeting reflected a growing commitment among development partners to strengthen collaboration with the state government.
More than 28 development partners operating across Cross River State attended the meeting.
