Cross River State history, Cross River State Local Government Areas and Senatorial Zones/ Districts in Cross River State. The post also has Local Government Area that make each Cross River State Senatorial Districts.

Cross Rivers is South-South State and it was created on 27 May 1967 from the former Nigerian Eastern Region by by the General Yakubu Gowon. Its name was changed to Cross River State in the 1976 state creation exercise by the then General Murtala Mohammed regime from South Eastern State. The present day Akwa Ibom State was excised from it in the state creation exercise of September 1987 by the then regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. Its capital is Calabar. Its major towns are Calabar Municipality, Akamkpa, Biase, Calabar South, Ikom, Igede, Obubra, Odukpani, Ogoja, Bekwarra, Ugep, Obudu, Obanliku, Akpabuyo, Ofutop, Iso-bendghe, Danare, Boki, Yala, Bendeghe Ekiem, Etomi, Ukpe and Ukelle.

The State is composed of several ethnic groups, which include the Efik, the Ejagham, Yakurr, Bette, Yala, Igede, Ukelle and the Bekwarra. There are four major languages spoken in the state: French, Efik, Bekwarra, and Ejagham. The Efik language is widely spoken in the southern part of Cross River State, especially in Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, Akpabuyo, Bakassi and Odukpani Local Government Areas. The Ejagham language is the most widely spoken language in Cross River State; from Calabar Municipality, Akamkpa, Ikom, Obubura, Ogoja, Obudu, and Etung local government councils, to the south west province of Cameroon.

The Efik-speaking people live mainly in the Southern senatorial districts of Cross River, or as it is commonly referred to, the Greater Calabar district, which includes Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, Bakassi, Biase, Akpabuyo, Odukpani, and Akamkpa LGAs. There is also the Qua community in Calabar, which speaks Ejagham. The main Ejagham group occupies mostly the Greater Calabar areas of Calabar Municipality, Odukpani, Biase and Akampkpa sections of Cross River State.

There are also the Yakurr/Agoi/Bahumono ethnic groups in Yakurr and Abi LGA, while the Mbembe are predominantly found in Obubra LGA. Further up the core northern part of the state are several sub-dialectical groups, among which are Etung, Olulumo, Ofutop, Nkim/Nkum, Abanajum, Nseke and Boki in both Ikom, Etung and Boki LGAs. Also, the Yala/Yache, Igede, Ukelle, Ekajuk, Mbube, Bette, Bekwarra and Utugwanga people are found in Ogoja, Yala, Obudu and Obanliku and Bekwarra LGA’s. The Yala are a subgroup of the Idoma nation, part of the Yala LGA’s subgroups are the Igede speaking people believed to have migrated from the Oju part of Benue State, who migrated from Ora, in Edo North. In Cross River North, Bekwarra is the most widely spoken language. It is understood by other tribes in the district. This language along with Efik and Ejagham is used for news broadcast in the state owned radio and TV stations.

Cross River State epitomises the nation’s linguistic and cultural plurality and it is important to note that, in spite of the diversity of dialects, all the indigenous languages in the state have common linguistic roots as Niger–Congo languages. Finally, the State boasts of being the venue of the largest carnival in Africa.

Festivals held in Cross River state includes:

The Cross River State Christmas Festival – 1 December to 31 December annually
The Cross River State Carnival Float – 26 and 27 December yearly
The Yakurr Leboku Yam festival – 28 August annually
The Calabar Boat Regata
Anong Bahumono Festival which is held in Anong Village, during which different cultural dances are showcased, including Ikpobin (acclaimed to be the most entertaining dance in the state), Ekoi, Obam, Emukei and Eta
Bekwarra, Obudu, Obanliku New yam festival which is held every 1st Saturday of September every year.

From the soaring plateaus of the mountain tops of Obanliku to the Rain forests of Afi, from the Waterfalls of Agbokim and Kwa to the spiralling ox-bow Calabar River which provides sights and images of the Tinapa Business Resort, Calabar Marina, Calabar Residency Museum and the Calabar Slave Park along its course, there is always a thrilling adventure awaiting the eco-tourist visiting Cross River State.

Other tourist attractions are the Ikom Monoliths (a series of volcanic-stone monoliths of unknown age), the Mary Slessor Tomb, Calabar Drill Monkey Sanctuary, Cross River National Park, Afi Mountain walkway canopy, Kwa falls, Agbokim waterfalls, Tinapa Business Resort, Mono rail way and the annual Calabar Carnival that takes place during the Christmas period.

Cross River State can be accessed by air through the Margaret Ekpo International Airport at Calabar. There are daily flights to Calabar from Lagos and Abuja serviced by airlines such as Arik Airlines and Aero Contractors. Aero Contractors also have flights to the Bebi airstrip at Obanliku for trips to the Obanliku Mountain Resort

Tertiary educational institutions in the State includes University of Calabar and Cross River State University of Technology located in the state capital Calabar, Ibrahim Babangida College of Agriculture located in Obubra Local Government Area, Cross River State College of Education located in Akamkpa Local Government Area, College of Health Technology, Iboko Okpoma, Federal College of Education located in Obudu[6] and Technical College Ugep located in Yakurr Local Government Area.

Cross River State Senatorial Zones / Districts

Cross River state have three (3) Senatorial Zones / Districts. They are Cross River Central Senatorial Zone / District, Cross River North Senatorial Zone / District and Cross River South Senatorial Zone / District. Below are the Senatorial Zones / Districts and the local government areas that made up the districts.

Cross River Central Senatorial Zone / District

Abi Local Government Area
Boki Local Government Area
Etung Local Government Area
Ikom Local Government Area
Obubra Local Government Area
Yakurr Local Government Area

Cross River North Senatorial Zone / District

Bekwarra Local Government Area
Biase Local Government Area
Obanliku Local Government Area
Obudu Local Government Area
Ogoja Local Government Area
Yala Local Government Area
Delta South Senatorial Zone / District

Cross River South Senatorial Zone / District

Akamkpa Local Government Area
Akpabuyo Local Government Area
Bakassi Local Government Area
Calabar Municipality Local Government Area
Calabar South Local Government Area
Odukpani Local Government Area

Cross River State Local Government Areas

Cross River State consists of eighteen (18) Local Government Areas. They are:

Abi

Akamkpa

Akpabuyo

Bekwarra

Bakassi

Biase

Boki

Calabar Municipal

Calabar South

Etung

Ikom

Obanliku

Obubra

Obudu

Odukpani

Ogoja

Yakuur

Yala

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