CROSS RIVER APPOINTS PULA ADVISORS TO LEAD EUDR COMPLIANCE DRIVE
✓ State Government Embarks on Landmark Four-Month Mapping and Digital Traceability Drive to Secure EU Market Access for Farmers
By Amawu, Cletus Albert Amawu
CALABAR — The Cross River State Government has appointed Pula Advisors as the Lead Consultant for the State’s European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) Compliance and Traceability Programme, marking a major milestone in its effort to modernise and safeguard key agricultural value chains, cocoa, coffee and oil palm, from international market risks.
The appointment follows an extensive six-month engagement involving rigorous technical assessments by the State’s Multi-Stakeholder Committee, which examined proposals, digital capabilities, and global experience in managing traceability systems at scale.
Announcing the decision, Governor Prince Bassey Edet Otu described the partnership as “a defining moment in the transformation of the State’s agricultural economy”.
According to him, “Cross River State is taking a decisive step to secure the future of our farmers by meeting the highest global standards for sustainability and market access. This partnership with Pula places us at the forefront of digital agriculture governance in Nigeria.”
A Digital Overhaul of Traceability and Land Governance
The collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development and Pula is aimed at establishing a unified, technology-driven system that gives government full visibility over land use, farm boundaries, supply-chain activities and deforestation exposure.
For the past six months, both teams have worked jointly to design a comprehensive approach centred on end-to-end traceability, digital land-mapping, geolocation analytics and an integrated information platform capable of serving both regulatory and commercial functions.
Hon. Johnson Ebokpo, Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, underscored the strategic global relevance of the project.
“EUDR compliance is an opportunity to modernise our agricultural sector, strengthen data-driven decision-making and ensure that Cross River State producers are globally competitive,” he said.
“Pula’s expertise gives us confidence that this exercise will be delivered with precision, integrity and speed.”
Why Pula Emerged the Preferred Partner
The Multistakeholder Committee, chaired by Professor Susan Ohen, concluded that Pula Advisors demonstrated the strongest alignment with the State’s 7-Year Agricultural Strategic Plan and possesses the required technical and operational capacity.
The Committee’s evaluation highlighted Pula’s proficiency in:
✓ farmer registration and database development
✓ polygon mapping and georeferenced farm boundary tracing
✓ geolocation and land-use verification
✓ digital platforms for large-scale value chain management
✓ deforestation risk analysis driven by AI
✓ climate-risk and compliance audits
Pula’s track record in executing national-scale traceability programmes in Uganda and Ethiopia further strengthened their candidacy.
Professor Ohen described the project as
“one of the most ambitious traceability exercises ever undertaken in Cross River State.”
“The Committee was impressed by Pula’s technical capacity, particularly in polygon mapping, geolocation analytics and AI-driven deforestation risk monitoring. Their experience in similar national programmes positions them as the right partner to support our farmers and institutions,” she added.
She further noted that the Committee will actively mobilise farmer associations, local governments, MDAs and traditional institutions to ensure full participation.
Scope of Work: 80,000 Farms to Be Mapped Statewide
Under the implementation plan, Pula will map and verify an estimated:
60,000 cocoa farms
18,000 oil palm farms
2,000 hectares of coffee farms
These figures will undergo further validation as fieldwork progresses, ensuring consistency with the State’s agricultural realities and production clusters.
The entire exercise is scheduled to run for four months, with completion targeted for the second quarter of 2026.
Pula Commits to World-Class Delivery
Speaking on behalf of Pula Advisors, the organisation’s Nigeria Country Director, Michael Enahoro, affirmed Pula’s commitment to deploying global best practice.
“Cross River State has made a bold and forward-looking decision. By investing in digital infrastructure, robust traceability systems and real-time risk assessment, the State is protecting its producers’ access to the EU market and positioning itself as a leader in sustainable agriculture in Nigeria,” he said.
“We are honoured to bring our experience, technology and global best practices to support this vision.”
Expected Gains: From Global Competitiveness to Climate Resilience
The EUDR exercise is designed to generate extensive benefits for the State’s agricultural ecosystem. These include:
✓ Deforestation-free verification to secure EU market access
✓ Accurate georeferenced farm boundaries enabling full traceability from farm to export
✓ Reliable land-use data to support environmental planning and climate-resilience strategies
✓ Transparent supply chains encouraging collaboration among farmers, exporters, communities and regulators
✓ Strengthened enforcement capability to curb illegal land use and promote sustainable production
The initiative aligns directly with the State’s 7-Year Agricultural Strategic Plan, which seeks to build modern, technology-driven agricultural systems, enhance regulatory oversight, and create expanded economic opportunities for primary producers.