Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday commissioned two newly acquired Cally Air aircraft, commending Governor Bassey Otu for what he described as a bold and forward-thinking investment in Cross River State’s aviation sector.
Speaking at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport in Calabar, where he represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Shettima said the expansion of the state-owned airline was a strategic move to boost economic growth, drive tourism, and position Cross River as a leader in regional air transport.
He noted that the initiative reflects the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in promoting food security, energy security, and economic self-reliance. “Cross River is demonstrating what strong subnational leadership looks like. The country needs more of this kind of vision,” the Vice President remarked.
Governor Otu, in his address, outlined his economic blueprint as the fusion of three policy “engines” inherited from his predecessors — tourism under Donald Duke, rural development under Senator Liyel Imoke, and industrialization under Professor Ben Ayade. “My goal has been to merge these into a robust, diversified economy that frees us from overdependence on FAAC allocations,” he said.
According to the governor, the addition of the two aircraft brings Cally Air’s fleet to four, with plans to expand to seven. He described the airline as central to the state’s tourism policy and its ambition to create an aviation hub serving Nigeria and the wider Gulf of Guinea.
With the fleet expansion, Cross River is positioning itself not only as a tourism powerhouse but also as a strategic aviation gateway for the region.
