Cross River State Government and Canada have identified health, fishery and agro-forestry as areas of collaboration for skills acquisition, trainings and micro-financing for entrepreneurship.

The partnership, a resolution of a meeting between Governor Ben Ayade and the Canadian High  Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Perry  Calderwood, held at the Governor’s Office in Calabar, comes on the heels of several others with countries that view Cross River State as strategic and secure for investments.

The Canadian High Commissioner said his country has been partnering the state through several programmes in the areas of health and was planning to include agriculture even as his country bids to become a key player in the exploitation and utilization of solid minerals in the state to create wealth for the citizenry.

Calderwood who announced a $15 million  window programme for skill acquisition, training and  microfinance for youths in the areas of agro-forestry, fisheries and agriculture, said that the meeting was also an approach for the state to increase its investment in essential medicine, especially for women and children.