The National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria (NACOFTAN) and the Raw Material Research and Development Council (RMRDC) have joined forces in a landmark partnership.
This collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding signed on the 27th of March 2025, is set to revolutionise Nigeria’s tea and coffee industry by addressing the critical issue of resource access for smallholder farmers and promoting the growth and development of both lowland and highland coffee and tea varieties.
The MOU, signed during the ceremony at the Council headquarters, was endorsed by Hassan Kakara, president of NACOFTAN for the Association, and Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, Director General of RMRDC, in the presence of NACOFTAN executives and the Council’s top management.
BusinessDay reports that it outlines a partnership focused on promoting the tea and coffee industry through research, development, and innovation.
Smallholder farmers dominate Nigerian coffee and tea farming, and they have struggled to benefit from the current high global prices due to the challenges of low investment, poor seed quality, and substantial capacity gaps. “While coffee prices recently reached a 14-month high, local production has remained flat and uninspiring,” Kakara stated.
Coffee, cotton, and cacao used to be significant cash crops that earned Nigeria millions of dollars in revenue in the 1960s and 70s, but have failed in the last decades to attract the quality of investment it needs. “NACOFTAN is poised to change this with new partnerships and programmes that engage various stakeholders from the federal government to state governments and the private sector,” he added.
As part of its roadmap to increase tea and coffee production in Nigeria, Richard Ali, legal adviser at the National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria (NACOFTAN), noted that the association is embarking on a project to put 28,000 hectares of land under mixed-crop coffee and tea production over seven years in Taraba State, Nigeria.
“Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) have been signed with six local government areas in the state, two special development areas, and various traditional authorities,” he added.
The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), is committed to the development of local raw materials and the coordination of research efforts. “The RMRDC will play a pivotal role in facilitating research and development activities, undertaking market research, driving technology transfer, building the capacity of farmers and processors, promoting partnerships, and enabling regulatory and policy support,” Ike-Muonso stated.
NACOFTAN, the Federation of Agricultural Commodities Associations of Nigeria (FACAN)-affiliated representative for professionals, producers, and retailers in Nigeria’s coffee and tea industry, is a key player in this partnership. “NACOFTAN will provide crucial data on farmers, ensure their participation in training programs, organise them into clusters, and provide land for demonstration farms, contributing significantly to the initiative’s success,” Ali explained.
“This is a major milestone for the Association, and it marks a significant step towards unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s coffee and tea sector,” said Kakara. “We are excited to partner with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) to empower our members with the knowledge, technology, and support they need to thrive in the global market. This MOU will help position Nigeria as a key player in the beverage industry,” he stated.
