CALABAR – In a decisive move to accelerate agricultural diversification and boost the State’s oil palm economy, stakeholders under the Cross River Oil Palm Development Initiative (CRODI) have resolved to deepen investment and strengthen coordination mechanisms for the crop’s value chain through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework.

The resolutions were contained in a communique issued at the end of the 5th CRODI meeting convened by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development on 31st October 2025. Rev. Ojikpong Nyiam Bisong, Chairman of the Oil Palm Growers Association (OPGAN), Cross River State, read out the communique.

The meeting brought together key stakeholders including the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development and his Management team, the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Prof. John Shiyam, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Tree Crops, and representatives of major oil palm associations and development partners.

Among the top resolutions, the meeting approved the establishment of oil palm nurseries across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state using a PPP model. Under this arrangement, the State government, represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development, will collaborate with private investors and local government councils on a cost and production-sharing basis to ensure sustainability and efficiency.

According to the communique, “the PPP model should be a commercial cost and production-sharing model between the Cross River State Government, represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development, the 18 Local Government Areas and private investors.”

The stakeholders further agreed that the Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria (OPGAN), the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN), and both State and Local Government agricultural extension officers will play supervisory roles in each of the nursery sites.

In addition, the communiqué emphasised the need to strengthen agricultural extension services, enhance capacity building for smallholder oil palm farmers, and conduct routine monitoring of field activities by the CRODI technical team to ensure optimal productivity and adherence to best practices.

The meeting also directed that the current status of the sprouted nuts secured from the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) and distributed to farmers under the initiative be made public to enhance transparency and stakeholder engagement.

Participants expressed appreciation to His Excellency, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, for his visionary leadership and creative policies aimed at lifting Cross River State out of poverty through inclusive agricultural development and shared prosperity.

They reaffirmed their collective commitment to sustaining the governor’s “People First” agricultural agenda, noting that the oil palm sub-sector remains a key driver in achieving food security, employment generation, and revenue diversification for the state.

In a brief remark, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Ebokpo, KSM, reaffirmed government’s commitment to the full implementation of the CRODI resolutions, stating that, “Our goal is to make Cross River a leading oil palm hub in Nigeria through strategic partnerships that empower farmers, attract investors, and drive shared prosperity.”