NGScorecard

Governor Bassey Otu inherited a combined debt burden of ₦175.2 billion in domestic debt and $215.8 million in foreign debt from the administration of Professor Ben Ayade. The state's total debt stock was reported at ₦284 billion by end-2023.

The administration grew the budget significantly and maintained debt service payments. By December 2024, total debt had risen to ₦381.97 billion, though domestic debt actually declined from ₦204 billion to ₦147 billion between June 2023 and June 2025, while foreign debt rose from $153.2 million to $201.5 million due partly to naira devaluation. The state reconciled and settled some inherited domestic loan categories including budget support and salary bailout loans.

The Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, conceived under Governor Donald Duke as a major economic asset, had been under the control of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) since 2011 after struggling to attract private investors. It remained largely dormant for over a decade.

The Otu administration negotiated the full financial settlement and formal handover of Tinapa from AMCON in November 2025. The governor declared it a 'renewal of Cross River's economic vision' and began engaging investors to transform the facility into a hub for trade, tourism, and creative enterprise.

Thousands of retired civil and public servants were owed gratuities dating back to 2009–2015. The civil service payroll was bloated with suspected ghost workers, and the Local Government Service Commission had been riddled with employment racketeering.

The administration approved ₦10 billion for gratuity payments in 2024 and conducted an audit that uncovered over 2,000 ghost pensioners, who were expunged from the payroll. However, the full backlog was not cleared, and the administration later sought a ₦24 billion loan to address remaining pension arrears. The LG recruitment fraud scandal revealed systemic problems had not been fully resolved.

The state inherited deplorable road networks, abandoned infrastructure projects, and poorly maintained public facilities including the Cross River State Library Complex and government secretariats.

The administration embarked on extensive infrastructure renewal, rehabilitating urban roads, constructing new dual carriageways, renovating the State Library Complex, completing the Local Government Service Commission Complex, and rehabilitating courts. However, many rural roads remained in poor condition, and some flagship projects like the Bakassi Deep Seaport remained in the planning phase.