After years of leadership turbulence at the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), decisive intervention by the Visitor to the University, Governor Bassey Edet Otu, on February 26, 2025, marked a critical turning point. The appointment of Prof. Francisca Bassey, a highly respected and results-driven academic administrator, as Acting Vice Chancellor immediately restored direction and confidence within the institution.
Her exceptional performance during the interim period culminated in her confirmation as substantive Vice Chancellor on July 17, 2025, following a rigorous selection process in which she emerged top among contenders. The Governing Council was particularly impressed by her clearly articulated, practical vision and the concrete results she delivered within just five months as Acting VC.
Now 315 days at the helm, Prof. Bassey has justified that confidence, becoming the second substantive female Vice Chancellor in the history of the institution and ushering UNICROSS into a new era of purposeful leadership and measurable transformation.
A Professor of Organic Chemistry, Prof. Bassey has driven wide-ranging reforms across all campuses, converting inherited challenges into opportunities and steadily elevating the university’s academic, infrastructural and administrative profile. Her leadership style, energetic, strategic and impact-oriented, has addressed long-standing deficits while laying foundations for sustainable growth.
One of her earliest priorities was campus safety and visibility. Under her watch, over 100 solar-powered street lights were installed around the main campus and staff quarters at no cost to the university, significantly improving nighttime safety and mobility for staff and students. Complementing this effort, she successfully secured approval for the establishment of a police station at the Okuku Campus, further strengthening security architecture.
At the Okuku Campus, a long-standing water scarcity crisis was decisively resolved through the reactivation of the borehole and full water reticulation to hostels. This intervention dramatically improved living conditions and reinforced the administration’s focus on student welfare as a cornerstone of academic excellence.
Prof. Bassey’s resourcefulness also reflected in the recovery of the former Heritage Bank building, now repurposed to house the CRUTECH Microfinance Bank. The move has enhanced access to banking services on campus while generating a new stream of internally generated revenue (IGR) for the university.
In another historic milestone, she secured a building for renovation into the first-ever hostel at the Ogoja Campus, addressing decades of accommodation challenges and fostering a more immersive campus experience for students. Similarly, a ₦4 billion Public-Private Partnership (PPP) has been secured for large-scale hostel development, while existing hostels across campuses are undergoing renovation.
Her administration has recorded remarkable success in attracting external support. The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) approved the renovation and reconstruction of the abandoned 500-unit hostel at the Calabar Campus, while TETFund gave approval for the comprehensive renovation of the university auditorium. Zenith Bank has also committed to remodeling the university’s main entrance gate, enhancing UNICROSS’s visual identity and institutional branding.
To strengthen accreditation readiness and administrative efficiency, offices of Heads of Departments have been renovated and furnished, with an ongoing initiative to make them ensuite. Renovation and standard furnishing of Deans’ offices have commenced, beginning with Environmental and Biological Sciences, creating conducive hubs for academic leadership and research coordination.
Lecture halls have equally received attention, with damaged seats reconstructed and learning spaces upgraded to support comfort, attendance and interactive teaching. Laboratories are being newly constructed and existing ones equipped with modern facilities, bridging the gap between theory and practice while boosting research capacity and graduate employability.
Student and staff wellness featured prominently with the construction and equipping of a modern gymnasium for the Department of Human Kinetics. The administration also secured the NBC licence for the university radio station, providing practical training platforms for students in Broadcasting and Mass Communication.
At the Ogoja Campus, abandoned structures, including the guest house, have been reconstructed, converted into classrooms and offices, fully furnished, and protected with perimeter fencing to prevent encroachment and environmental degradation.
To expand IGR and strengthen entrepreneurship, Prof. Bassey established a 10-hectare oil palm plantation at Okuku Campus, with plans to expand to 30 hectares. The Centre for Entrepreneurship Development has been equipped to drive ventures in furniture making, block production, fashion design, welding, bakery operations and photography, providing hands-on vocational skills for students.
Infrastructure development has also received renewed government backing, with approval secured for intra-campus road construction and a mini stadium, significantly improving accessibility and recreational facilities.
Staff welfare has not been neglected. The new minimum wage has been implemented, subvention improved, and morale boosted through the first-ever UNICROSS Staff Week, where outstanding staff were recognised with awards and gifts.
Academically, a Faculty of Computing has been created to position the university for the digital future, with approval already secured for a purpose-built faculty complex. Long-abandoned facilities such as the Art Exhibition Building and Wood Products Engineering Building are also undergoing renovation.
UNICROSS has equally undergone a digital revolution. Interactive smart boards have been procured, campuses upgraded into fully smart campuses, and high-speed internet deployed to support teaching, research and collaboration. The long-defunct student results portal has been restored, with over five million results successfully migrated, enabling seamless access for students.
Senate meetings now operate in hybrid format, reducing costs and travel risks, while CBT-based General Studies examinations now deliver instant results, ending years of examination bottlenecks.
Strategic partnerships have been forged with institutions including Zhenjiang College (China), Soho-Skyrun Group, and the Nigerian Air Force, opening new frontiers in research, exchange programmes and specialised training. Advanced drones, cameras and video equipment have also been procured to equip students with industry-relevant skills.
Indeed, in less than a year, Prof. Francisca Bassey has redefined leadership at UNICROSS. Her tenure so far reflects vision, courage and delivery; laying a solid foundation for sustained excellence and positioning the university firmly on an upward trajectory. Without doubt, she remains the driving force behind UNICROSS’s unfolding renaissance.
