Farmers, CRIN to Modernise Nigeria’s Cocoa and Coffee Value Chains

News in brief:

—COCEFAAA and CRIN signed an MoU to revive Nigeria’s coffee industry and improve cocoa and coffee production.

—The partnership will promote climate-smart farming, improved seedlings, processing infrastructure and traceability systems.

The Cocoa and Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COCEFAAA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) to strengthen Nigeria’s cocoa and coffee industries under the Nigeria Coffee Revival Initiative.

The partnership would improve coffee production and productivity through research-backed agricultural practices, climate-smart farming systems, farmer empowerment and enhanced post-harvest management.

Partnership Targets Coffee Industry Revival

According to the agreement, both organisations will collaborate to revive Nigeria’s coffee industry and strengthen value chains across the cocoa and coffee sectors.

Key components of the initiative include the provision of improved planting materials, deployment of traceability and seed-tracker technology, establishment of demonstration plots and irrigation pilot projects, as well as the development of commercial processing facilities.

The programme is also expected to improve transparency, sustainability and quality standards within the sector.

Milestone Agreement for Farmers

Speaking on the development, the Global President of COCEFAAA, Adeola Adegoke, described the partnership as a major step towards repositioning Nigeria within the global coffee market.

“This collaboration represents a strategic step toward restoring Nigeria’s position in the global coffee market while improving the livelihoods of thousands of farmers across the country,” Adegoke stated.

He added that the initiative would contribute to job creation, rural development and export expansion within the agricultural sector.

Adegoke noted that the programme aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, particularly in the areas of food security, agricultural development and economic diversification.

“Our focus is not only on increasing production but also on building a sustainable and competitive coffee ecosystem driven by innovation, research, and farmer-centred development,” he stated.

Stakeholders to support implementation

According to him, both parties will work with cocoa- and coffee-producing states, academic institutions, non-governmental organisations and other industry stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the initiative.

The partnership will also prioritise training and capacity development for farmers and agricultural extension officers to improve productivity, sustainability and product quality across the cocoa and coffee value chains.

Stakeholders say the collaboration is expected to strengthen Africa’s cocoa and coffee industries through innovation, sustainability and research-driven agricultural development.