CrossRiverWatch is an independent digital newsroom based in Calabar, reporting on politics, governance, public finance and community life across Cross River State, Nigeria. Launched in August 2012 by publisher Agba Jalingo, it set out to give Cross Riverians at home and in the diaspora a reliable, state-focused outlet for accountability journalism.
Reporters file daily news, investigative projects, opinion and explainer pieces in beats that include the legislature, courts, education, health, the environment and the civic space. Its reporting has real-world impact: in 2025, a series on deadly illegal mining prompted a state task force crackdown, multiple arrests and a debate in the House of Representatives. The outlet also convenes public debates through annual anniversary lectures that have drawn speakers such as constitutional scholar Akin Oyebode, former attorney-general Kanu Agabi and former governor Clement Ebri.
CrossRiverWatch publishes primarily online and extends its reach through a video channel and an iReport platform launched in 2018 for tips and citizen evidence. The newsroom’s insistence on accountability has brought pressure from authorities; its publisher has faced arrests and court cases later dismissed, underscoring the risks of watchdog reporting in the state. Through persistent local newsgathering and investigations, CrossRiverWatch functions as a watchdog and a community record for Cross River State.