BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – In a bold move aimed at aggressive economic diversification, the Cross River State Government has ignited an ambitious seven-year coffee development plan meant to transform thousands of hectares of fertile highland into booming plantations, and create thousands of jobs through large-scale coffee production in the State.
Accordingly, the state is aggressively pursuing non-oil exports and massive generation of rural wealth through the initiative, tagged the “Coffee Revolution,” and designed to complement the state’s cocoa industry while positioning Cross River as a major coffee-producing hub in Nigeria and Africa
Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Johnson Ebokpo, who disclosed this on Monday during a chat with journalists in Calabar, the State capital, said the State is working on an ambitious strategy to cultivate Arabica and Robusta crops, while also establishing a sustainable, export-ready value chain that would span from 2024 to 2032
He said the arrangement would complement the State’s cocoa industry while positioning Cross River as a major coffee-producing hub in Nigeria and Africa, adding: “Governor Bassey Otu had approved the distribution of 30 million coffee seedlings to smallholder farmers over the life of the strategic plan.
“The programme would cover about 27,000 hectares of farmland. It is designed to complement the state’s cocoa industry while positioning Cross River as a major coffee-producing hub in Nigeria and Africa.”
Further explaining that the first phase of the project began in 2025 with the distribution of one million seedlings before it was temporarily suspended due to the end of the planting season, Ebokpo said the State would commence the distribution of four million seedlings during the current planting season.
He said: “The vision is to diversify our income base, improve livelihoods and create a new export value chain that will generate wealth for our people,” stressing that the initiative was built around key pillars, including institutional reforms, production, post-harvest management, marketing, access to finance and sustainability.
The Commissioner also stated that a statewide farmer enumeration exercise has already been done, with women constituting the majority of registered coffee farmers following advocacy campaigns supported by the Office of the First Lady.
Maintaining that the state is endowed with unique climatic conditions that make it suitable for the cultivation of both Arabica and Robusta coffee, Ebokpo said: “Cross River’s unique climate and agroecological zones make it suitable for the cultivation of both Arabica and Robusta coffee varieties. Arabica coffee would be cultivated in Obudu, Bekwarra and parts of the Boki highlands, while Robusta would be grown across other parts of the state.”
He explained to strengthen the coffee industry and make it a thriving economic sector, the government is pursuing institutional reforms, including the establishment of a Coffee Development Agency, amendment of the state’s Produce Law and the creation of a Coffee Commodity Exchange to connect farmers directly with buyers and reduce the role of middlemen.
Also indicating that the government is in partnership with international partners, including Lindsay Global, to provide technical support, improve quality standards and ensure coffee produced in the state meets premium international market requirements, the commissioner said local government councils would also play a critical role by establishing communal washing and drying stations to preserve coffee quality and improve farmers’ earnings.
In his remarks, Dr. Hassan Usman, the National President of National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria (NCTAN), praised the Cross River State Government for its commitment to coffee as a seismic shift for the nation.
Describing the initiative as one capable of boosting the country’s non-oil exports, Dr Usman said by placing agricultural development at the forefront, the stage is set for Cross River to shatter economic boundaries, aggressively revamp rural livelihoods and catapult Nigeria’s non-oil export prowess onto the global stage
Usman said the NCTAN had carried out research across several communities in Cross River, including Boki and Obudu, to confirm the state’s suitability for commercial coffee production, noting that the planned distribution of 30 million coffee seedlings would empower about 28,000 smallholder farmers, particularly women and youths, while creating employment opportunities across the coffee value chain.
While pledging the association’s continued support for the state government’s efforts and proposed plans to deepen collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the coffee development programme, the NCTAN boss said: “The distribution of 30 million coffee seedlings would empower about 28,000 smallholder farmers, particularly women and youths, while creating employment opportunities across the coffee value chain.”
He called more collaboration with “relevant stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the coffee development programme”, saying: “To unlock the full potential of this coffee initiative, we need every stakeholder at the table and together with our partners, we can transform this coffee development vision into reality.”
