The Secretary of the Cross River State Diaspora Commission, Mrs. Elizabeth Greene, has said her participation in the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA 2026, in New York has opened strategic international windows for Cross River State.
Greene, who was part of Nigeria’s delegation led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, stated this in a communique detailing her participation at the global gathering themed “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.”
According to her, the Nigerian delegation comprised four governors – Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara and Babagana Zulum of Borno – alongside Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, members of the Federal Executive Council and other senior officials.
She said a highpoint of Nigeria’s participation was the delivery of President Bola Tinubu’s National Statement by Vice President Shettima on September 24, which addressed UN reform, peace and security, climate action, technology and sustainable development.
Greene noted that Nigeria renewed its call for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, demanding at least two permanent seats with veto rights for Africa in line with the Ezulwini Consensus, and five non-permanent seats.
The Vice President, she said, also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to global peace, citing its roles in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Darfur, Mali and The Gambia, while calling for stronger action against terrorism, cyberattacks and illicit financial flows.
On climate, she said Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to net-zero emissions by 2060, with emphasis on renewable energy, clean cooking and climate-smart agriculture – priorities she said are relevant to Cross River given its biodiversity and agricultural base.
Greene emphasized that these global climate commitments are a matter of immediate survival for the cross river state. She noted that the state delegation utilized the UNGA platform to advocate for urgent international intervention regarding devastating landslides and severe gully erosion threatening lives and infrastructure across the Calabar metropolis. She stressed the sub-national climate funding is critical to mitigating these localized ecological disasters.
On bilateral engagements, Mrs. Greene disclosed that interactions on the sidelines of the High-Level Week, including, engagement with Heads of State and Country Representatives.
Talks are ongoing to link Cross River State in trade and investment, agriculture, tourism, and diaspora engagements.
She identified possible areas for further exploration to include a maritime corridor between Calabar and Ghanaian ports in Accra and Takoradi, utilisation of the Calabar Free Trade Zone to attract West African manufacturers, cooperation in cocoa processing and value addition, and a tourism partnership linking Ghana’s heritage sites with Obudu Mountain Resort and the Calabar Carnival.
She stressed that the areas were not concluded agreements but strategic opportunities requiring federal approvals, private-sector participation and institutional engagement.
Greene thanked Governor Bassey Otu for his support and for providing policy direction through his People First agenda, and also expressed appreciation to Vice President Shettima for the opportunity to serve in the delegation.
She said the experience reinforced the need to strengthen the bridge between Cross River State, its diaspora and the international community to translate global contacts into jobs, investment and sustainable development for the state.
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