CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – Cross River State has declared a bold transition from exporting raw cocoa and coffee to processing premium products locally, aiming to drive job creation, value addition, and inclusive growth within the agricultural sector.
This was the central message delivered by the State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Ebokpo, during the International Cocoa and Coffee Investors Roundtable meeting held at the Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, on Wednesday, 11th June 2025.
Speaking on behalf of Governor Bassey Otu, Hon. Ebokpo emphasised the state’s commitment to transforming its cocoa and coffee industries through a strategic shift from primary production to full value chain development.
“We are declaring something simple yet powerful: we are ready to do things differently,” adding, “Cross River is no longer content with being a supplier of raw, undervalued cocoa and coffee beans. We are transitioning from production to processing, from exporting raw materials to creating premium products and jobs right here at home.”
Ebokpo unveiled key elements of the State’s 7-Year Strategic Cocoa and Coffee Development Plan, which includes the establishment of six new cocoa estates and the introduction of both Arabica and Robusta coffee across ecologically suitable zones in the state. He also announced plans to define a unique flavour identity for Cross River cocoa and coffee, tailored to meet growing global demand for traceable, high-quality produce.
As part of the plan, the State will establish small-scale processing hubs in strategic local government areas. These hubs, to be developed in collaboration with private investors, will feature fermentation tanks, depulping units, and solar-powered drying systems to refine and package cocoa and coffee products locally.
“Our goal is clear: ensure that cocoa and coffee are refined, packaged, and elevated not abroad, but right here on Cross River soil,” the Commissioner said.
A central pillar of the plan is inclusivity, with specific focus on smallholder farmers who represent over 70 per cent of the State’s producers. He highlighted measures such as access to land, agronomic training, improved inputs, extension services, and fair pricing mechanisms to uplift farmers and ensure widespread participation in the sector’s transformation.
Ebokpo stressed the importance of engaging women and youth in the sector through nursery grants, agribusiness training, land access, and inclusive finance to nurture a new generation of “agripreneurs”.
“To our partners, investors, and development organisations; Cross River is open, not just for business, but for real partnership,” he said, highlighting the state’s comparative advantages, including climate-smart land, enabling policies, Calabar Port access, and a skilled labour force.
“Our Public-Private Partnership framework is not a slogan,” he added. “It is a deliberate, structured approach to de-risk investment, ensure accountability, and build lasting impact.”
The wife of the Governor, Bishop Eyoanwan Otu, in her remark disclosed that though, women may not be versatile in cocoa farming but will be a dominant force in coffee following it subsidisation.
Bishop Otu, who was represented by Dr Inyang Asibong, Special Adviser to the Governor on Gender Mainstreaming, noted that, “We are very particular about coffee. As women, we want to dominate the coffee field. We know the cocoa is dominated by men already, that is why we further subsidised the already subsidised seedlings.”
She mentioned other benefits of coffee apart from it regular use as beverages to include medicine, gardening, skincare, etc. She further strengthened the support she has for whatever the Governor is doing for the women in the state.
On his part, Hon. Bette Obi, Cross River State House of Assembly Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources, assured investors of the Assembly’s support for the cocoa/coffee value chain.
“We are ready to give the investors whatever they need from the House of Assembly,” he said. “We’ll surpass Ghana. When we went to Ghana, we learnt enough.”
In his presentation, Dr Coffie Mawuli, Country Director, World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) Ghana and Nigeria, highlighted the region’s readiness to improving farmers’ income as well as end deforestation.
Converseer reports that the roundtable convened stakeholders from across the cocoa and coffee value chains, including producer alliances, private companies, NGOs, researchers, unions, and government agencies. It served as a platform to align on a shared vision, forge partnerships, and discuss investment opportunities under a clear Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework.
