The Cross River Government says it is targeting 30 million coffee seedlings, 10,000 hectares of plantations and annual production of 15,000 metric tonnes.
Gov. Bassey Otu announced the targets on Saturday at the opening of the second Coffee Festival International Nigeria in Calabar.
He said the initiative was designed to position Cross River as West Africa’s leading coffee hub and increase Nigeria’s participation in the global coffee market.
Otu, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Mr Johnson Ebokpo, said the state’s agroecological advantages were central to achieving the goal.
He said Cross River’s four agroecological zones, favourable rainfall and arable land offered significant opportunities for commercial coffee cultivation.
According to him, about 90 per cent of the state’s arable land is lowland, making it suitable for Robusta coffee.
He added that the state’s highlands were favourable for Arabica cultivation, creating opportunities to produce different coffee varieties.
The governor said his administration had developed a 2025–2032 Coffee Development Roadmap and launched the Coffee Revolution Programme in July 2025.
He said more than 800,000 subsidised Arabica and Robusta seedlings had been distributed, while more than 700 farmers and extension workers had received training.
Otu also announced a partnership to establish 6,000 hectares of coffee plantations in Odukpani, Akamkpa and Akpabuyo Local Government Areas.
He said the government had introduced agricultural traceability systems, strengthened regulatory frameworks and sent a delegation to Uganda to study its coffee industry.
The administration also planned to train young people in barista services and other downstream coffee operations to create jobs, he said.
The festival’s second edition began on Friday and ends on Sunday. Its theme is “Sustainability: Building the Future of Coffee in Nigeria”.
The inaugural festival was held in Jos in 2025.
The festival attracted coffee experts and industry stakeholders from Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa and Brazil, among other countries.
Earlier, Mrs Blessing Tangtur, chief executive officer of Lingzhi Global and the festival’s originator, called for stronger partnerships between government and the private sector to accelerate coffee production.
She said collaboration was essential to promoting cultivation, consumption and investment across Nigeria’s coffee value chain.
Tangtur said the inaugural festival had renewed interest in coffee production and attracted support from international development partners.
She named the United Nations and the International Trade Centre among organisations supporting efforts to develop the sector.
According to her, Nigeria’s coffee consumption had risen from about two million to 12 million, a growth she attributed to awareness and promotional activities.
She said the festival connected farmers with processors, exporters, buyers and other stakeholders, giving producers access to markets beyond cultivation.
Tangtur also said more than five million coffee seedlings had been distributed to farmers in Cross River.
She expressed optimism that the distribution would boost production, stimulate investment and create jobs.
Also speaking, Dr Hassan Kakara, president of the National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria (NACOFTAN), called for stronger coordination within the industry.
He said poor leadership, weak cooperative structures and limited market opportunities had contributed to declining coffee production.
Kakara recalled that Nigeria was once a major coffee producer and urged stakeholders to address the challenges hindering the industry’s development.
He advocated climate-smart agriculture, improved access to finance, research and quality seedlings, as well as stronger cooperatives.
The association president also called for greater empowerment of women and young people and increased investment in processing and value addition.
He said these measures were essential to rebuilding the industry, improving its competitiveness and positioning Nigeria as a significant player in the global coffee market.
