By Obiabin Onukwugha
In a bold step to revive and scale up coffee production, Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has flagged off the cultivation of 30 million coffee seedlings across the 18 local government areas of the State.
The initiative is directly aligned with the state’s 7-Year Strategic Development Plan for cocoa, oil palm, and coffee which was formulated by a multi-stakeholder committee to guide long-term interventions.
Speaking during the flag-off held at the executive chambers of the governor’s office in Calabar on Monday, Otu described the project as a cornerstone of his administration’s “People First” agenda, which prioritises sustainable development, economic diversification, and rural prosperity.
The governor explained that the flag-off is a practical expression of the Plan’s strategic pillars, which include farmer engagement, seedling distribution, and value chain development.
“This project is beyond seed distribution. It’s about creating jobs, attracting investment, restoring our environment, and building a thriving agro-industrial future,” the governor said.
“We have always envisioned a Cross River State where farmers are empowered, value chains are functional, and our produce is recognised both locally and globally”, the governor stated.
Otu emphasised that each coffee seedling represents the opportunity to put food on the table, add to the State’s GDP, and drive trade, value addition, and export.
He applauded the partnership with JR Farms, commending the company’s global footprint and technical expertise in the coffee value chain. He therefore called on investors to explore the rich investment opportunities in Cross River’s agricultural sector.
Earlier, In his welcome address, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Ebokpo, hailed the governor as “the champion of Nigeria’s coffee reformation.”
Ebokpo highlighted the state’s geographical advantage, its highlands and lowlands as ideal for both Arabica and Robusta cultivation which will further position Cross River to lead Africa’s premium coffee production.
The commissioner revealed that the flag-off was made possible by the successful completion of a rigorous enumeration exercise, which recorded massive participation from men, women, and youth.
In his presentation, the CEO of JR Farms, Mr Olawale Rotimi, expressed delight at the reawakening of Nigeria’s coffee industry and commended Cross River State for being the first state to commit to such scale.
Rotimi noted that JR Farms had already initiated training programmes across the three senatorial districts as well as provided post-planting support through a 3-way communication model, and is working to establish coffee washing stations and a global market access framework.
He pledged JR Farms’ commitment to off-take all coffee produced in the state and to promote Cross River coffee on the global stage through storytelling and trade platforms.
“We have seen what coffee has done across East Africa over the last nine years. Today, Cross River is taking the bold step to lead the Nigerian coffee revolution,” he stated.
According to Daylightrepoters, the event attracted dignitaries from the State Executive Council, members of the diplomatic corps, development agencies’ executive directors, Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm research, Director General, Raw materials and Research Council of Nigeria, private sector leaders, and key stakeholders in the agriculture sector, underlining the national and international importance of the coffee value chain development project.
