Cocoa Revival Drive: Cross River Charts New Economic Path Through SAPZ Initiative

Stakeholders across government, agribusiness, private enterprise and farmer associations converged in Calabar on Tuesday to forge a renewed strategy aimed at transforming cocoa production in Cross River State, as the state positions itself to reclaim its historic relevance in Nigeria’s agricultural economy.

The one-day sensitisation and stakeholders’ engagement, convened by the Cross River State Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ), brought together policymakers, development partners, industry leaders and grassroots farmers to deliberate on actionable pathways for boosting cocoa productivity, strengthening value chains and stimulating sustainable economic growth.

A Strategic Push to Reawaken Cocoa’s Economic Power

Addressing participants at the forum, the State Coordinator of SAPZ, Mr Victor Edet, described the gathering as a critical turning point in the state’s agricultural revival agenda. According to him, the programme was designed to harmonise ideas, identify structural bottlenecks and build a coordinated roadmap that aligns farmers, investors and government institutions.

“We are here to draw up strategic plans that will boost yields and generate revenue for farmers and the state,” Edet said, noting that cocoa remains one of Cross River’s most valuable but under-optimised assets.

He disclosed that a major obstacle confronting agro-industrial expansion in the state is the persistent power deficit, revealing that there are stretches of over 1,000 kilometres without reliable electricity supply. This, he said, has severely constrained agro-processing, storage, and value addition.

According to Akahi News, the SAPZ initiative seeks to directly confront these infrastructure challenges by integrating power solutions, industrial clusters and logistics systems into designated agro-processing zones across the state.

Tackling Ageing Farms and Productivity Decline

The Chairman of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), Cross River State chapter, Dr Ramsey Ebamdeb, lauded the initiative as timely and transformative, particularly for smallholder farmers who have struggled for decades with ageing plantations and limited access to modern inputs.

“The programme is fantastic for cocoa farmers,” Dr Ebamdeb stated. “Many of our cocoa trees are over 60 years old. With this intervention, new and improved varieties will be introduced to replace unproductive farms, increase yields, and ultimately enhance farmers’ incomes.”

He further explained that beyond primary production, the SAPZ framework would establish industrial processing hubs capable of transforming raw cocoa into semi-finished and finished products, thereby unlocking higher market value and reducing post-harvest losses.

Akahi News gathered that the initiative is also expected to stimulate youth participation in agribusiness, curb rural-urban migration and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs across the cocoa value chain.

Private Sector and Business Community Rally Support

Also speaking at the event, the President of the Calabar Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (CALCCIMA), Mr Kelly Ayamba, urged residents, entrepreneurs and investors to seize the opportunities presented by the SAPZ programme.

“Our people need to wake up and take advantage of this. This is not just a government project; it is a platform for economic empowerment,” Ayamba said. “We will sensitise our members and push for an enabling environment so the programme can thrive and deliver real economic returns.”

He emphasised that strong collaboration between the public and private sectors would be essential to unlocking finance, attracting investors and ensuring sustainability of the initiative.

A Broader Vision for Economic Renewal

Beyond cocoa production, stakeholders at the meeting underscored the broader implications of the SAPZ initiative for Cross River’s economic diversification. By integrating infrastructure development, agro-processing, logistics and market access, the programme is expected to reposition the state as a competitive agricultural hub in the southern corridor of Nigeria.

According to Akahi News, the roadmap developed at the meeting prioritises the rehabilitation of old cocoa plantations, improvement of rural power infrastructure, attraction of agro-industrial investors, and the creation of a robust processing ecosystem that benefits farmers, processors and the wider economy.

Analysts believe that if effectively implemented, the SAPZ model could reverse years of decline in cocoa output, reduce youth unemployment and significantly boost internally generated revenue for the state.

A Renewed Hope for Cocoa Farmers

For many local farmers who have endured years of low yields, poor pricing and infrastructural neglect, the initiative represents a renewed sense of hope. The convergence of policy support, private investment and farmer engagement is being widely seen as a rare opportunity to reposition cocoa as a major economic driver in Cross River State.

As deliberations continue and implementation frameworks take shape, stakeholders remain cautiously optimistic that the SAPZ initiative will move beyond policy declarations to deliver tangible and lasting transformation.

Akahi News will continue to monitor developments and provide in-depth updates as the project unfolds.

By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News
Joseph Iyaji is a journalist, educator, and founder of Akahi G. International, Akahi Tutors, and Akahi News. Read more about him here.
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