Top 10 Best Secondary Schools in Calabar and Environs in Cross River State

Nigeria There are very good schools located in Calabar and other towns in Cross River State. If you are a parent looking for the best schools in Cross River State for your child, you do not have to

The list will serve as a guide for parents looking for good schools in Calabar and its environs for their kids.

Before we go to the list of the best schools in Cross River proper, below are some interesting facts about Cross River that you should know. Cross River State was created in 1967 as South-Eastern State.

The State was named Cross River State in 1976 after the River Cross (Oyono River), which rises from the Cameroun Mountains and empties itself into the Atlantic Ocean.

Coss River is bounded to the East by the Cameroun Republic. It is bounded to the South by Akwa-Ibom and the Atlantic Ocean, to the West by Abia and Ebonyi States and to the North by Benue State.

The capital of Cross River is Calabar, one of Nigeria’s cleanest and safest cities. It also has a major seaport.

There are 18 local governments Areas (Abi, Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Bekwarra, Biase, Boki, Calabar Municipal, Calabar South, Etung, Ikom, Obanliku, Obubra, Obudu, Odukpani, Ogoja, Yakurr and Yala) in the state that make up 3 senatorial districts. Now, without further ado, below is the list of the best schools in Cross River state.

Please note that the list below is not in any particular order.

Top 7 Best Secondary Schools in Cross River State Nigeria

Surefoot International Schools, Calabar

Surefoot International School, Calabar is arguably one of the best schools in Cross River State, Nigeria. The school is a co-educational, private Christian boarding school located in the scenic and serene city of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.

The existence of Surefoot is the manifestation of a vision, which became a reality due to the burning desire to provide an educational institution where children are raised in a Christ-centered, fun, and technologically driven environment. SIS caters to children from all nationalities from crèche to year 12. 

Their all-inclusive policy at SIS ensures that no child is left behind, every child who goes through SIS is assured of a solid foundation and a sure future where critical thinking and an analytical mind become the norm.

The school is located at Plot 1 Surefoot International School Drive, Opposite Zone 6 Police Station, Murtala Mohammed Highway, Ikot Efa 234540, Calabar, Nigeria.

St Annes Private School, Calabar

St. Anne’s private school opened its doors to the first set of seven pupils now referred as the “Magnificent Seven” (without whom there would have been no St. Anne’s Schools) on Monday the 10th of October, 1994.

The school has by the Grace of God grown steadily ever since then. It has so far registered a total of 2112 pupils, who have passed through the primary school at one time or the other as at 15th March 2016.

The current population of the school is 456 pupils. Due to popular demand, the secondary school was known as St. Anne's High School and started in September 2006 with fifteen students.

The student population has continued to grow with a total 512 of who have been students at one time or the other. The number of new students coming in every year is between 100 – 130. It has a current population of 260 as of 15th March 2016. 

MaryGold International School, Calabar

Marygold International School is another good school in Cross River State. Marygold International School, Calabar Campus is a privately owned and government-approved co-educational, boarding and day school founded in 2012 to provide quality education in an enabling environment with necessary facilities.

The school is located at 14 Obame Ikoya St, Leopad Town, Calabar. Tender Hearts School, Calabar Tender Hearts Schools founded in 2002 became an attempt by the founders at answering these probing questions, using their own children as "guinea pigs" for this new experiment.

Sooner than later five other children whose daring parents were prepared to take a calculated risk on the founders came on board. From there, it became a grinding passion and commitment to produce over a decade of fruitful existence.

Thus, they found their purpose – to present to the world an African child (0-12 years) who is not in any way physically, socially, emotionally, ethically, spiritually, and mentally disadvantaged relative to his/her contemporaries in other parts of the world.

They can pursue their dreams and become a useful member of our society, and the world at large. Tender Hearts provide to society at an affordable cost, teaching, and caring methods with extra focus on the growing child’s internal condition in addition to his/her external learning environment.

They are located at 2 Ekorinim Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.

Hillcrest Schools, Calabar

Hillcrest School is one of the best schools in Cross River State. October 1998 saw the birth of the secondary arm of Hillcrest. In the year 2013, the secondary arm of Hillcrest renamed Hillcrest College Calabar moved to its permanent site.

Built majestically on a hill, similar to Hillcrest Junior two and a half-decade before, Hillcrest College is happy to be at home at last and her service in education to the children of Cross River State and the World continues. Hillcrest College operates the Junior and Senior Secondary National Curricula as specified in the Nigeria National Policy on Education.

The school has a high standard of academics, a wide range of academic subjects taught by a dedicated and professional staff. Students are encouraged towards excellence by having their names on the Honours roll.

Federal Science College, Ogoja

Federal Government College is a co-educational day and boarding, basic and post-basic institution owned by the Federal Ministry of Education. The College over the years has been at the forefront of academic excellence within the geographical region and across Nigeria as a whole. Outstanding performance in various Educational, Social, and Sporting activities cannot be farfetched.

This is a result of enabling learning and sporting environment existing in the school, with the existence of modern features such as; a Standard library, School media/ICT laboratory, Multipurpose hall, Tuck shops, Standard Football pitch, Badminton, Volleyball court, and Lawn tennis facility.

A good and secure housing plan in the form of dormitories/hostels is in place to accommodate the boarding students, under the supervision of caring and experienced house masters and mistresses. The school is located at Federal Science College, Ogoja, Cross River, Nigeria. 

Lourdes Academy

Lourdes Academy has come out from the ashes of Hillcrest Annex and Hillcrest High School that was jointly owned till 2006. In terms of operations, our institution started in 1997 & 1998 respectively. The new nomenclature was officially pronounced by the then Cross River State Deputy Governor, Barrister Efiok Cobham on the 14th day of February 2014.

Lourdes Academy is a private model school of excellence in all spheres of education. Suitably located within a genuinely friendly and caring Ekorinim Community, away from the urban centre, to enable the full concentration of staff, students and pupils, without the undesirable distraction of Nigerian cities.

A school spacious enough to allow easy drop-off and pick up of children conveniently, rather than being faced with the security risk of parking by the roadside. They are located at Govt. Residential Layout, Phase III Ekorinim, Calabar C.R.S