Cross River Launches Coffee Initiative to Create Jobs and Expand Export Earnings

The Cross River State Government has launched an ambitious coffee development programme aimed at transforming the state’s agricultural sector, expanding export opportunities and creating thousands of jobs through the distribution of 30 million coffee seedlings over the next seven years.

The initiative, tagged “Coffee Revolution,” forms part of the administration of Governor Bassey Otu’s strategy to diversify the state’s economy beyond cocoa, which has remained Cross River’s dominant export crop for decades.

Speaking during the launch in Calabar on Monday, the Commissioner for Agricultural Development and Irrigation, Johnson Andiambey, described the programme as a landmark intervention designed to reposition Cross River as one of Nigeria’s leading coffee-producing states.

According to him, the initiative represents the first deliberate effort since the establishment of the Eastern Nigeria cocoa estates between 1957 and 1960 to introduce another globally competitive cash crop into the state’s agricultural value chain.

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“We conducted a situational analysis to determine how best to diversify the state’s income base and improve the livelihoods of our people. While cocoa has served us well, relying on a single export commodity exposes farmers to fluctuations in international prices. Coffee presents another opportunity to build wealth and strengthen our economy,” Andiambey said.

The commissioner disclosed that the state government had approved the distribution of 30 million coffee seedlings under a strategic implementation plan spanning from 2024 to 2032, with the programme expected to establish 27,000 hectares of Arabica and Robusta coffee plantations across the state.

He explained that the first phase commenced with five million seedlings. Although only one million seedlings were distributed in 2025 due to the late onset of the planting season, the remaining four million seedlings will be distributed during the current farming season.

Andiambey noted that the programme is initially targeted at smallholder farmers, while commercial-scale coffee production will be introduced in subsequent phases.

He emphasised the critical role of women and youths in the initiative, pointing to successful coffee-producing countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire, where women contribute significantly to coffee production and value addition.

According to him, the programme is expected to empower about 28,000 women and youths, each supported to cultivate one-hectare coffee farms capable of generating sustainable income and improving rural livelihoods.

The commissioner added that the state is receiving technical support from Lindsay Global Coffee, while a multi-stakeholder committee has developed a comprehensive coffee development roadmap covering production, processing, marketing, institutional development, financing and sustainability.

He explained that well-managed coffee plantations can yield between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes per hectare annually, creating employment opportunities, increasing farmers’ incomes and boosting the state’s export earnings.

Also speaking, the President of the National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria (NACOFTA), Usman, recalled that Nigeria was once among Africa’s leading coffee-producing nations before weak market structures forced many farmers to abandon the crop.

He stressed the need for sustained collaboration among government, farmers, processors, marketers and financial institutions to guarantee the long-term success of the initiative.

Usman also announced that Cross River State has formally registered as a coffee-producing state under the association, expressing confidence that the renewed investment in coffee production would strengthen the state’s position in Nigeria’s agricultural diversification agenda and contribute significantly to national economic growth.