By Henry Obetta

The lawmaker representing Cross River South Senatorial District, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, has announced plans to support 1,000 students with ₦100,000 each in 2026 under the Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong Education Support Initiative (ESI) 2026.

In a statement through his constituency office and signed by Charles Ekanem, the senator said he was pleased to announce the commencement of the fourth edition of the initiative.

The statement said the scheme is designed to provide educational support of ₦100,000 each to 1,000 qualified beneficiaries who are indigenous and resident students of Cross River South Senatorial District, as part of the senator’s continued commitment to human capital development through education.

According to the lawmaker, the programme is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students currently studying in federal and state universities, colleges of education, colleges of health technology and schools of nursing.

Senator Ekpenyong said the application portal will open on January 12, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. and close on January 21, 2026, at 11:00 p.m. He added that applicants must be indigenes and residents of Cross River South from Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Biase, Bakassi, Calabar South, Calabar Municipal and Odukpani.

He noted that admission letters and certificates of origin would be verified, stressing that only applicants who apply through the official platforms would be considered.

The senator added that only applicants who successfully apply through the official portal will be shortlisted, while successful candidates will be contacted and invited for screening.

He said selection would be carried out through a transparent, algorithm-based process and in strict compliance with submitted requirements.