By Joseph Abasi-Abasi, Calabar
The Cross River State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming agriculture into a major driver of economic growth, job creation, food security and rural development, declaring that the sector remains central to the development agenda of Governor Bassey Otu’s administration.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Ebokpo, stated this on Monday, where he highlighted the state’s efforts to reposition agriculture from subsistence farming to a commercially viable and investment-driven sector.
Ebokpo said the administration was implementing practical interventions aimed at connecting farmers to markets, attracting private sector investment, unlocking access to finance and strengthening agricultural value chains across the state.
“Agriculture remains one of the most powerful tools available to any government seeking to achieve food security, create jobs, stimulate rural economies and improve livelihoods,” he said.
According to him, initiatives such as Project Grow reflect the government’s determination to build a modern agricultural economy capable of generating wealth, empowering communities and creating sustainable opportunities for farmers and agribusinesses.
The commissioner noted that the state was focusing on expanding agricultural productivity, enhancing food security, supporting agribusiness development, attracting investment and increasing farmers’ incomes.
He called on financial institutions, development partners, private sector operators, traditional institutions, local governments, youth groups and the media to support the state’s agricultural transformation agenda
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Also speaking, the Project Director of Project Grow, Mr. Denis Ikpali, disclosed that the initiative has facilitated over N3 billion in agricultural financing and secured an offtake agreement valued at approximately N18 billion for farmers and agribusinesses in the state.
Ikpali described Project Grow as a Market Systems Development initiative established by the Cross River State Government to address structural challenges within the agricultural sector, particularly in market access, financing, aggregation, input supply and value-chain development.
He said the project currently operates across several agricultural value chains including rice, maize, cassava, aquaculture, animal fodder, soybean, cowpea, wheat, sorghum, groundnut and orange-fleshed sweet potato.
According to him, an agricultural development fund established by the state government is providing guarantees of up to N30 billion for private investors, a move expected to unlock as much as N150 billion in agricultural investments over the coming years.
“So far, we have facilitated over N3 billion in agricultural financing and already have about N1.5 billion available for farmers and agribusinesses ahead of the 2026 farming season,” he said.
The Project Director revealed that Project Grow had secured an offtake agreement with Flour Mills of Nigeria for the supply of 2,000 metric tonnes of soybean and 20,000 metric tonnes of maize valued at about N18 billion.
He added that the project had successfully delivered its first test batch of 11.4 metric tonnes of soybean to Flour Mills in Ibadan, describing the development as evidence of Cross River’s growing participation in Nigeria’s structured agricultural supply chains
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Ikpali further disclosed that over 5,300 farmers have been trained in partnership with German-funded development organisation AFOS on Good Agricultural Practices, financial literacy and modern farming methods.
He said the project supported the cultivation of about 450 hectares of maize and soybean farms during the 2025 farming season and has facilitated the emergence of 28 agribusinesses, including aggregators and service providers, while creating 391 direct jobs across different agricultural value chains.
He noted that soybean production is expected to cover about 1,000 hectares during the 2026 farming season, while a partnership with the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) is expected to support the cultivation of 2,000 hectares of rice across the state.
Ikpali also disclosed that Project Grow is collaborating with ETG on plans to establish a Centre of Excellence for agricultural training and development, an Indigenous Community Seed Multiplication Centre and a urea plant aimed at improving access to quality inputs and boosting agricultural productivity.
While acknowledging challenges such as inflation, rising transportation costs, limited access to structured finance and commodity price fluctuations, he expressed confidence that stronger partnerships and market-driven interventions would continue to improve outcomes for farmers and agribusinesses.
The Project Grow team expressed appreciation to Governor Bassey Otu, development partners, local governments, private sector operators and farmers for their continued support, reiterating its commitment to building a resilient agricultural system that delivers sustainable economic value across Cross River State.
