THE CROSS RIVER STATE GOVERNMENT COLLABORATE WITH OIL PALM GROWERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (OPGAN) TO CREATE THE LARGEST SUSTAINABLE SMALL HOLDERS OIL PALM ECONOMY IN AFRICA

Monday September 25th,2023.

THE CROSS RIVER STATE GOVERNMENT COLLABORATE WITH OIL PALM GROWERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (OPGAN) TO CREATE THE LARGEST SUSTAINABLE SMALL HOLDERS OIL PALM ECONOMY IN AFRICA

In a deliberate and strategic move by the Cross River State Government to invest in the agricultural sector and fulfill and implement its vision, the State Governor, his excellency, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu has accepted to adopt the proposal of the Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria (OPGAN) as an immediate initiative to boost agriculture in the state.

The collaboration/partnership between the Cross River State Government and OPGAN is to create an Oil Palm revolution across the entire value chain which will involve the establishment and management of nurseries, plantations, logistics, processing/milling, storage, refining, manufacturing, sales/distribution, access to local and international markets which shall be jointly executed with the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR).

It is important to note that Nigeria is the world’s fifth-largest Oil Palm producer but is a net importer of the commodity as it has huge local demand gulping about 500 million dollars annually  according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). 

The Nigerian palm oil industry is very fragmented and dominated by numerous small-scale farmers, who account for 80 percent of local production and most of these farmers do not have access to improved seedlings/inputs and are not attuned to modern farming practices, meaning their yields and outputs are  lower than it could otherwise be. 

According to recent USDA estimates, local production accounts for around 78 percent of consumption, and Nigeria consumed two million MT in 2021, leaving a deficit of 0.6 million MT. 

Also worthy to note is Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank at the recent UNGA in New York, he stated that by 2030 the size of the food and agricultural business in Africa will increase up to 1 trillion dollars, which shall further broaden the opportunity available by Nigerians. 

Cross River State has always been a fertile environment for oil palm development and it is time for Cross River State to build coherent oil palm programs to regain its pre-eminent as the number one oil palm State in the country.

There are numerous activities in oil palm value chain and its socio-economic impact is so huge that we must harness the abundant human resources in the state especially women and youths to key into this oil palm revolution.

Together, these activities build and strengthen the component parts as well as the whole value chain which is an important aspect of the livelihood of the rural farmers and the state GDP thereby promoting community stability and reduction in rural urban migration.

The National President of OPGAN, Joe Onyiuke flagged off the Town Hall event which held at OPGAN Calabar office, situate at 7 Dan Achibong street (White House), where the National Patron, National Publicity Secretary, the State Executives members and all the coordinators across the 18 local governments Area of the State were in attendance. Joe Onyiuke commended the Governor’s vision and unparalleled leadership to achieve a vibrant and sustainable small holder oil palm economy by working with  a strong independent oil palm association,- Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria, OPGAN (the number one umbrella of small holder oil palm growers/farmers in the country). He continued that by partnering with OPGAN and NIFOR to establish nurseries across the state is a testimony of his excellency’s deep understanding of the plight of oil palm farmers in the state and in so doing has activated/triggered a massive oil palm revolution which model other oil palm producing states will do well to emulate. This gesture of Governor Otu is a national duty that will see Nigeria gain back her lost position in the global index because Cross River state have the best ecological advantage than other states. 

The President of the association drew the attention of its member to the fact that the  state have what it takes to fill the supply gap and attract the over 500 million dollars spent annually to import crude palm oil into the country and be a net exporter utilizing the two international gateways - sea port and international airport available within the state apart from attracting other investors to develop other value chains. The surplus availability of fresh fruit bunches is the only thing that can put the state back on the national and global map. Investors and industries go where the base raw materials needed for their production are found in commercial quantity.

We therefore cannot thank his excellency, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu enough for his deep love for his people. We in turn have been greatly encouraged and will not let him down as all possible risks of failure have been duly mitigated. NIFOR will set up a permanent base in Cross River State so we are together for the long haul. The permanent presence of NIFOR in the state simply makes it easier for training/building the much needed local capacity that will ensure sustainability. The members shall be helped to cluster themselves into Cooperatives after profiling and mapping through the different departments of Extension and Mapping in NIFOR institute as they have enormous human resources to help us achieve the above. 

In order to attract that huge sum into Cross River economy and pull Cross Riverians out of poverty, the members were all excited and promised his excellency that this programme is a life saving one and that members will work hard to promote and protect the nurseries, their plantations in order to achieve the lofty objective of the present administration - grow quality certified oil palm and process same in the state for the shared prosperity of Cross Riverians.