By Awyetu Asabe Hope
The Cross River State Government on Tuesday unveiled a seven-year programme to distribute 30 million coffee seedlings to farmers as part of efforts to position the state as Nigeria’s leading coffee-producing hub and diversify its economy.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation, Johnson Ebokpo, disclosed the plan in Calabar, saying the initiative would reduce dependence on oil revenue while boosting agricultural production, investment and job creation.
He said 13 million coffee seedlings had already been distributed, mainly to smallholder farmers in the Northern and Southern Senatorial Districts, while the remaining seedlings would be sold to farmers at a subsidised cost of ₦300 each.
According to the commissioner, the state has acquired more than 27,000 hectares of land across its three senatorial districts for coffee cultivation and plans to establish a Coffee Commodity Exchange Board, a Produce Board and coffee processing plants to strengthen marketing and add value to local production.
Ebokpo said the government had also undertaken study visits to Ghana, Ethiopia and Côte d’Ivoire to understudy successful coffee industries.
A member of the Cross River State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Samuel Abang, said two executive bills to promote coffee and other economic crops had passed first and second readings, adding that the proposed laws would provide the legal framework for the sector’s development.
The National President of the National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria, Dr Hassan Usman, said the programme would benefit about 28,000 smallholder farmers, particularly women and youths, noting that communities such as Boki and Obudu are well suited for commercial coffee production.
Managing Director of Lingzhi Global Nigeria Ltd, Blessing Nanman, said plans were underway to establish a Coffee Academy and host an international coffee festival to promote research, skills development and investment in the sector.