Nigeria is intensifying efforts to revive its struggling coffee industry and strengthen cocoa production through a new partnership between farmer organisations and agricultural researchers aimed at modernising the country’s cocoa and coffee value chains.

The Cocoa and Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COCEFAAA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) under the Nigeria Coffee Revival Initiative, a programme designed to improve production, productivity and export competitiveness across both sectors.

The agreement reflects growing efforts by Nigeria to diversify agricultural exports, strengthen value addition and improve rural livelihoods as global demand rises for sustainably produced cocoa and specialty coffee products.

Under the partnership, both organisations will collaborate on research-driven agricultural development, farmer empowerment, climate-smart farming systems and the adoption of improved planting materials to increase yields and improve crop quality.

The initiative will also focus on strengthening post-harvest handling and processing standards, which remain major challenges limiting Nigeria’s competitiveness in global cocoa and coffee markets.

Stakeholders say improving quality control, traceability and processing capacity will be critical for positioning Nigeria to benefit from rising international demand for premium and sustainably sourced agricultural commodities.

As part of the agreement, the partners plan to establish commercial processing facilities, demonstration farms, irrigation pilot projects and seed-tracker technologies aimed at improving transparency, sustainability and productivity across the value chain.

The collaboration is also expected to accelerate the deployment of traceability systems, which are becoming increasingly important as international buyers tighten sustainability and sourcing requirements, particularly in European and North American markets.

Speaking on the development, COCEFAAA Global President Adeola Adegoke described the partnership as a major milestone for Nigeria’s agricultural transformation agenda and Africa’s broader coffee and cocoa industries.

According to Adegoke, the initiative aims not only to increase agricultural production but also to build a more sustainable and competitive coffee ecosystem driven by innovation, farmer-centred development and research-based solutions.

Nigeria was once a significant coffee producer in Africa, but production has declined sharply over the years due to ageing plantations, weak investment, poor processing infrastructure and limited farmer support systems.

Agricultural stakeholders believe the revival initiative could help reposition Nigeria within the growing global coffee market while supporting thousands of smallholder farmers through improved productivity and market access.

The programme is also expected to contribute to job creation, export growth and rural economic development, particularly in cocoa- and coffee-producing regions where farming remains a major source of household income.

Nigeria remains one of Africa’s leading cocoa producers, although the sector continues to face challenges linked to low yields, climate pressures, disease outbreaks, poor infrastructure and limited value addition.

The partnership with CRIN is expected to strengthen research and extension support for farmers while promoting the adoption of modern agricultural practices capable of improving long-term sector resilience.

Industry analysts say research institutions will play an increasingly important role in helping African agriculture respond to climate change, evolving export regulations and growing demand for sustainable food systems.

The collaboration will also involve state governments, academic institutions, NGOs and private-sector stakeholders to support implementation of the programme and expand technical support for farmers and extension workers.

As African countries push to strengthen agricultural exports and agro-processing industries, Nigeria’s renewed focus on cocoa and coffee development reflects a broader continental shift towards value addition, sustainability and export-oriented agribusiness growth.