Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has urged 1,500 graduates from retiree training programmes to go beyond merely holding certificates and instead become true entrepreneurs and champions of enterprise.
This charge came during a graduation event organized by the Cross River State Microfinance Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA), which marked the completion of various programmes under the Enterprise Development Center, including the basic, advanced, and Retiree Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI).
The initiative was designed to equip retirees and those nearing retirement with the skills and mindset necessary to navigate life after public service through entrepreneurship.
The graduation took place at the Calabar International Convention Center.
Delivering the governor’s message, Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Owan-Eno, stated that embracing entrepreneurship reflects the administration’s vision to turn Cross River into a state where innovation and business ownership flourish.
Governor Otu emphasized the importance of self-reliance, noting that it is more valuable to empower individuals to create and manage their own businesses than to have them depend on government jobs.
He made it clear that with the shift toward entrepreneurial empowerment, the state no longer expects retirees to seek government employment.
He encouraged the graduates to view retirement as a launchpad for a new and productive chapter of life.
“You can achieve better and be better. Today, after retirement comes life, hope and self-belief in what you can be because retirement in Cross River is now an announcement of good things.”
The governor also encouraged the retirees to take the lead in reshaping the business landscape in the state by stepping boldly into entrepreneurship.
He added, “In Cross River, the time of unemployment is gone. The time when grown graduate children depended on their parents for handouts is gone. This is the time for self-actualization.”
Dr. Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs in the Office of the Vice President, delivered a keynote address on “The Role of MSMEs in Innovation, Change and Economic Growth.”
To celebrate the occasion, the retirees showcased cultural performances including drama, a ballad, and traditional dances such as the Moninkim and Ekombi from the central and southern districts, and the War Dance from the northern district of the state.