The ALGON Chairman in the state, Yibala Inyang, announced the donation in Calabar on Saturday when he visited the remodelled newspaper corporation.
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Cross River State chapter, has donated N36 million to support the revival of the Cross River Newspaper Corporation, publishers of the 55-year-old Nigerian Chronicle.
Mr Inyang commended Governor Bassey Otu’s administration in Cross River for taking deliberate steps towards revamping the newspaper, describing it as “timely and well-intended”.
He said, “This intervention of the government is a major lifeline that will reposition the newspaper and restore its role as a reliable source of information and public enlightenment.”
The ALGON chairman described the Chronicle Newspaper as an important institutional heritage of Cross River which had served the state for decades.
“We want to express our appreciation to our governor for revamping this institutional heritage, we are happy that this institution did not fizzle out under our watch,” he said.
Mr Inyang urged the management and staff of the newspaper organisation to justify the investment by upholding professionalism, objectivity and ethical standards in their reportage.
He also called on the 18 local government councils and other stakeholders to support the newspaper through patronage and other legitimate means.
He said the donation was ALGON’s investment in public information and the preservation of an important state institution.
According to him, a vibrant state-owned newspaper remains important for public enlightenment, particularly in documenting government activities and issues affecting the people.
In another development, Mr Inyang commended Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, for inaugurating the National Community Food Bank Project for the South-south in Calabar.
He described the initiative as a demonstration of compassion and responsive leadership aimed at improving the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians.
“At a time of economic challenges, providing access to food for less privileged families is a timely and commendable intervention,” he said.
He thanked the First Lady for extending the programme to Cross River and pledged the association’s cooperation to ensure the benefits reached the intended beneficiaries.
He said that local government councils, being the closest tier of government to the people, would continue to support initiatives aimed at alleviating hardship, and improving the welfare of vulnerable households.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the National Community Food Bank Programme is a federal government initiative aimed at tackling food insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable Nigerians, particularly children under six, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.
The South-south phase was launched in Cross River on 4 September 2026, with three food banks covering the state’s three senatorial districts.
The programme is being implemented through collaboration involving the Office of the First Lady, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, NPHCDA and Bank of Agriculture, with states encouraged to replicate the model.
