By Sylvia Akpan, Government House Correspondent
Cross River State Government has disbursed 250 million Naira grants to 500 retirees under the Retiree Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI).
The initiative described as “expanded reciprocity” for those who committed their prime years to public service is part of Governor Bassey Otu’s led administration vision to promote human capital development and economic empowerment under the “People First” agenda.
Governor Otu, represented by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, made this known at the REDI grant disbursement ceremony held in Calabar, on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.
Each beneficiary was said to have received the sum of N500,000 grant to start micro/small-scale businesses, marking a bold step in repositioning senior citizens as active contributors to the state’s economy.
Otu averred that: “This government recognizes the value of our retirees and seeks to reintegrate them into productive life. The REDI program offers both skills training and funding support to help them transition from public service to private enterprise.
“The disbursement marks the first phase of the program, which will be replicated in the Central and Northern Senatorial Districts in the coming months.”
He assured beneficiaries of continued support through the state’s Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA), including access to soft loans for business expansion and revealed that he has prioritized pension payments ahead of other expenditures, while reducing the backlog of gratuities from 14 years to just four. He said his administration is also working on the harmonization of pensions and has signed into law the Cross River State Senior Citizens Center Bill, which will establish care and support facilities for retirees in Calabar, Ikom, and Ogoja.
The Director General of MEDA, Mr. Great Ogban, described the REDI program as a transformative component of the governor’s “People First” blueprint.
“This is more than money, it is the planting of seeds for economic revival. Each retiree’s business will create jobs, strengthen local economies, and inspire community growth,” Ogban said. He announced that the next phase of the program will target 1,000 additional retirees, 500 each from the Central and Northern Senatorial Districts.
One of the beneficiaries, Florence Oluohu, lauded Otu for giving retirees a fresh opportunity at self-reliance.
“This is a new lease of life. Many of us now have the resources and skills to start something meaningful. We ask that this program be expanded to include more retirees who need such support.”
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