By Paul Joseph
Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has launched a 1,000-hectare coffee revival project in Ondo State as part of efforts to restore the state’s position in Nigeria’s coffee export industry and create thousands of agricultural jobs.
The project was officially flagged off during a two-day sensitisation and training programme on coffee production and value chain development organised by the state Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in partnership with Lingzhi Global Nigeria Limited and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Engr. Leye Akinola, Governor Aiyedatiwa described the initiative as a major step toward rebuilding Ondo’s once-thriving coffee sector, noting that the state was previously known for producing premium Robusta coffee for export.
He said years of neglect, ageing plantations, and inconsistent policies caused a decline in coffee production, but insisted the state was now determined to reverse the trend.
According to the governor, the 1,000-hectare project is expected to directly engage more than 2,000 farmers while also creating employment opportunities across seedling nurseries, cultivation, processing, packaging, and export activities.
“Agriculture remains our most viable pathway to shared prosperity. Coffee, with a global market valued at over $460 billion, presents Ondo State with a golden opportunity,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa explained that the state government is partnering with Lingzhi Global Nigeria Limited to move beyond raw coffee exports by developing local roasting, branding, and packaging capacity for “Made-in-Ondo” coffee products targeted at premium international markets.
He also announced plans to provide land for investors and cooperatives, deploy extension officers for technical support, construct access roads to coffee farming clusters, and guarantee off-take arrangements through the National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria and private partners.
The governor identified communities in Akure North, Idanre, Ifedore, and the Akoko axis as ideal locations for coffee cultivation due to their favourable rainfall, soil conditions, and altitude.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Mrs. Foluke Tunde-Daramola, assured stakeholders that the ministry would deploy personnel and technical support to ensure the success of the initiative.
Chief Executive Officer of Lingzhi Global Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Blessing Nanman Tangtur, said the company currently operates in 21 Nigerian states and 14 African countries, focusing on the import and export of coffee, tea, and chocolate products.
She explained that the company’s mission in Ondo includes training farmers in modern coffee production techniques, assessing climate suitability, and building capacity across the entire coffee value chain.
Chairman of the Ondo State chapter of the National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria, Prince Ayodele Akinwumi, described the initiative as the beginning of a broader plan to position Ondo as Nigeria’s leading coffee-producing state.
He disclosed that beyond the 1,000 hectares already flagged off in Akoko North-West Local Government Area, more than 10,000 hectares of suitable land had been identified across Akoko, Owo, Idanre, Ore, and Ifedore for future expansion.
Akinwumi added that the seminar would focus on European Union Deforestation Regulation compliance, GPS mapping of farms, and soil testing in collaboration with the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria to support sustainable and export-ready coffee production.
Goodwill messages were also delivered by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, alongside other stakeholders in Nigeria’s coffee industry.
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