Edith CHUKU
To resolve the recurring delays in the payment of staff salaries at the university, the Alumni Association of the University of Cross River State UNICROSS, has called for sustainable funding plan.
The alumni made this call on Tuesday in a statement by its National President, Dr. Inyali Peter, urging for the immediate adoption of a sustainable financing model to address the crisis.
The association attributed the incessant salary crisis to inadequate funding from the state government, explaining that the challenges neither began under the current university management nor the administration of the state governor, Senator Bassey Otu.
The Alumni described the ongoing discussions between the Vice Chancellor, Professor Francisca Bassey and the governor as the first genuine steps toward resolving a long-standing structural funding problem.
According to the association, “UNICROSS remains one of the few state universities in Nigeria facing chronic salary delays due to poor funding.
“Several states, particularly in the North, fully fund staff salaries while supplementing university financing through structured revenue streams, including statutory allocation percentages, local government contributions, education levies, and dedicated taxes.
“Similarly, most South-South states were said to operate systems where governments cover full salary obligations alongside additional education levies on companies.”
The Alumni body, clarified that “since its establishment as a university, UNICROSS has not benefitted from significant state-funded infrastructure development. The institution operates a costly multi-campus system and has had to finance over 60 percent of its wage bill from internally generated revenue (IGR) and borrowing, leaving little room for capital investment or expansion initiatives.
“In December 2025, 23 academic programmes underwent accreditation without financial support from the state government, with a similar exercise expected this year under comparable constraints.”
The Association also decried the inability of the University to hold convocation ceremonies for nearly a decade due to funding limitations.
To address the crisis, the Alumni Association renewed its call for the establishment of an Education Trust Fund for tertiary institutions in Cross River State.
Proposed funding sources include 1–2 percent of profit after tax from companies operating in the state, a 2 percent education tax on hotel guests, 2 percent of statutory state allocations, and 5 percent of local government allocations dedicated to university support.
The Association further recommended a formal policy mandating the state government to engage UNICROSS for consultancy services in selected engineering and creative projects, as well as integrating consistent infrastructure development into the state’s annual budget.
Further, the Association advocated for convening a state-wide education summit to develop innovative and sustainable strategies for financing tertiary education, noting that UNICROSS itself emerged from a similar summit convened during the administration of former governor Donald Duke.
Beyond funding, the Alumni body raised concerns over worsening security challenges, including repeated attacks on students and staff, vandalism, and land encroachment. It urged the government to prioritize perimeter fencing of the University and the establishment of a dedicated police station on campus.
Reaffirming that education remains central to sustainable development, the Alumni Association called on the state government to adopt deliberate, long-term measures to secure the future of the University and its students.
