Get Guardian on Google…As Cross River targets 100m seedlings
Namibia has expressed interest in importing Nigerian coffee and exploring opportunities for local cultivation, as African stakeholders push for stronger intra-continental trade and investment in the coffee industry.
Namibian Ambassador to Nigeria, Raul Dendebashia, disclosed this on the second day of the three-day Coffee Festival International Nigeria in Calabar, Cross River State, saying discussions were already underway to facilitate the entry of Nigerian coffee into the Namibian market.
Dendebashia said the proposed partnership followed a trade mission organised by the Namibian Embassy earlier this year, during which Nigerian businesswomen, including the festival host, Blessing Tangtur, visited Namibia to explore business opportunities.
He said the visit generated interest among Namibian investors in the Nigerian coffee industry, with two business representatives from his country attending the festival to strengthen the emerging partnership.
According to him, beyond importing Nigerian coffee, Namibia is also exploring the possibility of cultivating the crop in some parts of the country with favourable climatic conditions.
The ambassador said the partnership was part of efforts to translate the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement into practical economic benefits through increased trade among African countries.
He lamented that African countries often found it easier to export their products to Europe than to trade among themselves because of tariff and non-tariff barriers.
He said African governments must address trade barriers and create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, noting that inadequate infrastructure, electricity and machinery remained challenges that could be overcome through political commitment and investment.
Also speaking, the Cross River State Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Johnson Ebokpo, called for increased investment in coffee processing facilities and supporting infrastructure, saying the opportunities in the sector extended beyond farming.
He said investors could establish community-owned washing, grading and processing stations to support farmers and improve the quality of coffee produced in Nigeria.
According to him, such facilities would create opportunities for local businesses, communities and young entrepreneurs while strengthening the country’s capacity to compete in the international market.
The commissioner disclosed that Cross River State was targeting more than 30 million coffee seedlings, with a long-term ambition of producing at least 100 million seedlings within the next 10 years.
He said the state was also developing an institutional framework to regulate the sector, enforce quality standards and ensure that farmers met the requirements for accessing international markets.
Ebokpo explained that coffee grading and certification were essential for producers to secure export contracts, stressing that quality assurance would be critical to the success of the state’s coffee development programme.
He urged young Nigerians to take advantage of emerging opportunities in coffee cultivation, processing and marketing, describing the industry as an investment in the future.
Former Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, also called on Nigerians to support locally produced goods and invest in homegrown businesses, saying the country’s agricultural resources could create wealth and improve livelihoods.
Tallen commended the festival organisers for bringing international partners and investors together, expressing optimism that the initiative would encourage more young Nigerians to explore opportunities in the coffee industry.
The second day of the festival featured engagements among Nigerian and international stakeholders on investment, market access, coffee production and opportunities for expanding trade across Africa.
The festival, organised by Lingzhi Global Nigeria Limited in collaboration with the National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria, is being held under the theme, “Sustainability: Building the Future of Coffee in Nigeria.”
