Cross River Unveils Seven-Year Coffee Development Plan to Diversify Economy

The Cross River State Government has unveiled a seven-year coffee development roadmap aimed at diversifying the state’s economy, expanding non-oil exports and creating thousands of jobs through large-scale coffee production.

The initiative, known as the Coffee Revolution, is designed to complement the state’s cocoa industry while positioning Cross River as a leading coffee-producing hub in Nigeria and across Africa.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Johnson Ebokpo, said the strategic plan covers the period between 2024 and 2032 and has received the approval of Governor Bassey Otu.

As part of the programme, the state plans to distribute 30 million coffee seedlings to smallholder farmers over the seven-year period, covering approximately 27,000 hectares of farmland.

According to the commissioner, 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. The government is now set to commence the distribution of an additional four million seedlings during the current planting season.

The roadmap is built around five key pillars, including institutional reforms, production, post-harvest management, marketing, access to finance and sustainability.

The government has also completed a statewide enumeration of coffee farmers, with women accounting for the majority of registered participants following extensive advocacy campaigns.

Officials noted that Cross River’s favourable climate and diverse ecological zones make it suitable for cultivating both Arabica and Robusta coffee varieties. Arabica coffee will be grown in Obudu, Bekwarra and parts of the Boki highlands, while Robusta will be cultivated across other parts of the state.

To strengthen the coffee value chain, the government plans to establish a Coffee Development Agency, amend the state’s Produce Law and create a Coffee Commodity Exchange to connect farmers directly with buyers and reduce dependence on middlemen.

The state is also partnering with international organisations to improve production standards, provide technical support and ensure that locally produced coffee meets premium international market requirements.

Local government councils are expected to establish communal washing and drying centres to preserve coffee quality and increase farmers’ earnings.

Stakeholders have described the initiative as a major step toward boosting agricultural productivity, increasing non-oil export earnings and generating employment opportunities for thousands of farmers, particularly women and young people across the state.