The University of Cross River State has appealed to the South-South Development Commission for urgent relief for 24 staff families displaced by flooding at its Calabar Campus.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Francisca Bassey, made the appeal in a letter to the Managing Director of the SSDC, Uyo, dated August 12, 2026.
Bassey described the flooding as a grave humanitarian crisis, saying the affected staff families had been left without temporary shelter and essential household items after their residences were inundated.
She appealed for emergency relief materials, including mattresses, bedding, electrical appliances, televisions, refrigerators, kitchen equipment, gas cookers and cylinders.
The vice chancellor also requested financial assistance to enable the affected families secure temporary accommodation and replace essential personal belongings destroyed by the flood.
She said the disaster had also affected university offices and facilities, with documents, furniture, computers, phones, photocopiers, printers and other equipment reportedly destroyed.
Bassey disclosed that a preliminary assessment indicated that the overall value of the damage ran into several billions of naira, adding that a further technical assessment would provide a comprehensive evaluation of the rehabilitation and replacement costs.
She attached photographic and video evidence of the damage to the appeal and offered to provide additional documentation or receive representatives of the commission for an on-the-spot assessment of the affected areas.
Meanwhile, the university management said it had completed the desilting of affected drainage channels to improve water flow and reduce the risk of further flooding.
The vice chancellor also appealed for intervention to rehabilitate critical university infrastructure damaged by the flood, including sections of the perimeter fence.
According to her, the damage to the fence has heightened security concerns around the affected areas of the university.
The appeal followed other efforts by the university management to secure assistance for the affected staff and address the recurring flooding.
Bassey had, as far back as last year, written to the Ministry of Environment drawing attention to flooding at the university’s staff quarters and seeking intervention to address the underlying problem.
Following the latest incident, she also engaged the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the National Emergency Management Agency, seeking assistance for the affected staff and further intervention to tackle the situation.
The university said Governor Bassey Otu had also deployed a swamp buggy to the institution in response to the flooding, describing the move as an indication of the state government’s concern over the welfare of members of the university community.
The management said it remained committed to supporting the affected staff and mobilising relevant government agencies and other stakeholders to provide relief and rehabilitate facilities damaged by the disaster.
