Nigeria’s NACOFTAN, RMRDC sign strategic development partnership to boost tea and coffee sectors
A new agreement between NACOFTAN and RMRDC aims to revitalise Nigeria’s coffee and tea industry through innovation and investment.
NIGERIA – The National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria (NACOFTAN) and the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) have entered into a strategic partnership to advance Nigeria’s tea and coffee industry.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalising the collaboration was signed at the Council’s headquarters.
The agreement, signed by NACOFTAN President Hassan Kakara and RMRDC Director General Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, sets out a shared commitment to boost local production and empower smallholder farmers through research, innovation, and sustainable development practices.
This partnership comes at a time when global coffee prices are experiencing a significant increase, yet Nigerian producers continue to face challenges such as inadequate investment, limited access to quality seeds, and insufficient technical support.
The initiative aims to close these gaps by promoting both lowland and highland coffee and tea varieties across the country.
Hassan Kakara noted that while global coffee prices recently reached a 14-month high, local production has remained stagnant. He highlighted that Nigeria was once a major exporter of cash crops like coffee, cotton, and cacao in the 1960s and 70s but has since seen a decline in investment and output.
NACOFTAN’s Legal Adviser, Richard Ali, announced that the association will launch a project to cultivate 28,000 hectares of land under mixed-crop coffee and tea production in Taraba State over the next seven years.
Memoranda of Understanding have already been signed with six local government areas, two special development zones, and traditional authorities in the state.
The RMRDC, which plays a central role in the development of Nigeria’s raw materials sector, will lead various efforts under the partnership. These include research and development activities, market assessments, technology transfer, capacity building, and support for regulatory frameworks.
According to Ike-Muonso, the Council is committed to ensuring that Nigerian farmers and processors benefit from improved access to technology and market information, positioning the country as a competitive player in the global beverage market.
NACOFTAN, an affiliate of the Federation of Agricultural Commodities Associations of Nigeria (FACAN), will mobilise its network of stakeholders to support the programme by providing farmer data, organising training programmes, facilitating land access, and setting up demonstration farms.
Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.
