How Cross River’s Project Grow Is Transforming Agriculture Into Big Business
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The Cross River State Government is pushing ahead with an ambitious plan to transform agriculture from small-scale subsistence farming into a commercially driven sector capable of attracting investment, creating jobs, improving food security, and positioning the state as a major player in Nigeria’s agricultural economy.
At the centre of that strategy is Project Grow, a flagship agricultural initiative launched by the administration of Governor Bassey Edet Otu in November 2023 to address long-standing structural challenges affecting farmers and agribusinesses across the state.
Speaking during a press conference held at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre in Calabar, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Andiambey Ebokpo, said the state government is deliberately building a modern agricultural system designed around markets, financing, value chains, and long-term investment opportunities.
According to him, Cross River has always possessed the natural conditions needed for agricultural prosperity, including fertile land, favourable weather, and a strong farming population, but years of weak market systems, poor financing access, and limited value-chain coordination slowed down growth in the sector.
He said the state government established Project Grow as a Special Purpose Vehicle to solve those problems and reposition agriculture as a serious economic driver.
“Our mission is to build a modern, commercially viable, and investment-driven agricultural economy that creates value across the entire chain, from production and processing to marketing, distribution and export,” Ebokpo said.
The Commissioner explained that agriculture remains one of the strongest pillars of Governor Otu’s development agenda because of its direct impact on employment generation, poverty reduction, rural development, and economic expansion.
He called on financial institutions, private investors, development partners, farmers, and media organisations to continue supporting the programme as the government scales up implementation across the state.
Project Grow Director, Mr. Denis Ikpali, described the initiative as a Market Systems Development programme built to solve deeper structural gaps within the agricultural ecosystem.
Rather than focusing only on production, Ikpali said the programme was designed to tackle challenges around aggregation, market access, financing, demand creation, and input supply.
According to him, one of the biggest problems affecting farmers in many parts of Nigeria is the lack of structured market systems where buyers, pricing standards, and product specifications are already defined before cultivation begins.
Project Grow, he said, is changing that model by linking farmers directly to organised buyers and structured supply chains.
“The programme focuses on linking farmers directly to structured markets where quality standards, pricing mechanisms, and demand expectations are clearly established before production begins,” Ikpali explained.
Since its launch, the initiative has expanded into all 18 local government areas in Cross River State, with active farming clusters operating in Odukpani, Ogoja, Obubra, Yakurr, Yala, Ikom, Obudu, and Obanliku.
The project currently operates across multiple agricultural value chains. Primary focus areas include rice, maize, cassava, aquaculture, and animal fodder production, while secondary value chains include soybean, cowpea, wheat and sorghum, groundnut, and orange-fleshed sweet potato.
Ikpali said the commodities were selected based on market demand, economic viability, scalability, and their ability to create inclusive growth opportunities for farmers and agribusiness operators across the state.
One of the major achievements recorded under the initiative is the large-scale farmer training programme carried out in partnership with AFOS, a German-funded non-governmental organisation.
Through the partnership, more than 5,300 farmers have received training on Good Agricultural Practices, financial literacy, and modern farming systems aimed at improving productivity and reducing post-harvest losses.
The programme also supported the cultivation of about 450 hectares of maize and soybean farms during the 2025 farming season.
Ikpali noted that the state government is focusing heavily on capacity building because modern agriculture now requires technical knowledge, financial management skills, and stronger compliance with market standards.
“In partnership with Flour Mills of Nigeria, the project successfully conducted Good Agricultural Practices Training-of-Trainers programmes for 110 soybean farmers and extension agents, strengthening farmer capacity and improving compliance with market requirements,” he said.
Beyond farming activities, the programme has also contributed to the emergence of new agribusiness operators within the state.
According to the Project Director, Project Grow has facilitated the growth of 28 agribusinesses, including aggregators and service providers, while also restructuring and strengthening several farmer cooperatives.
Those interventions, he said, have created 391 direct jobs across different agricultural value-chain activities.
One of the biggest milestones announced by the project team is the signing of a major offtake agreement with Flour Mills of Nigeria.
Under the agreement, Cross River farmers and agribusinesses are expected to supply 2,000 metric tonnes of soybean and 20,000 metric tonnes of maize valued at about N18 billion.
The deal is considered a major breakthrough because it provides guaranteed market access for participating farmers and agribusiness operators within the state.
Ikpali said the agreement validates the project’s market-led strategy and demonstrates how structured agricultural systems can improve supply-chain reliability while boosting investor confidence.
He further disclosed that Project Grow recently completed its first test delivery of 11.4 metric tonnes of soybean to Flour Mills in Ibadan.
According to him, the development marks an important entry point for Cross River into structured national agricultural supply chains.
For many analysts, one of the biggest barriers facing agriculture in Nigeria remains access to financing, particularly for smallholder farmers and rural agribusiness operators.
To address that challenge, Project Grow introduced a Cash Back Guarantee Scheme aimed at reducing lending risks for banks and other financial institutions.
Ikpali explained that the model is expected to unlock about N150 billion in cumulative agricultural financing over the next few years.
“So far, the project has facilitated over N3 billion in agricultural financing, with approximately N1.5 billion expected to be accessed by participating farmers and agribusinesses ahead of the 2026 farming season,” he said.
The initiative is also working with the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) to support the cultivation of 2,000 hectares of rice through input loan arrangements ahead of the 2026 farming season.
Project Grow is equally partnering with ETG to improve access to agricultural inputs, strengthen productivity, and attract more long-term investment into the state’s agricultural ecosystem.
Beyond current operations, the Cross River State Government is also planning new infrastructure and institutional projects aimed at supporting future agricultural growth.
Ikpali revealed that Governor Otu has approved plans for the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Agricultural Training and Development as well as an Indigenous Community Seed Multiplication Centre to improve access to quality seedlings and planting materials.
The government has also approved the establishment of a urea plant expected to support local fertiliser production and improve fertiliser availability for farmers across the state.
The Project Director said the initiative plans to cultivate about 1,000 hectares of soybean farms during the 2026 farming season as part of efforts to scale up production and strengthen market supply.
Despite the progress recorded so far, Ikpali acknowledged that the project still faces several operational challenges, including inflation, rising transportation costs, commodity price fluctuations, and limited access to structured finance.
However, he said the programme is responding through stronger partnerships, adaptive implementation strategies, and data-driven market analysis designed to improve long-term sustainability.
The Cross River State Government believes Project Grow represents a shift from traditional farming systems into a more organised agricultural business model capable of attracting investment, increasing rural incomes, supporting food security, and creating sustainable economic opportunities for thousands of people across the state.
For the administration, the broader goal is not only to increase food production but also to build a commercially viable agricultural economy that can compete within national and regional markets while positioning Cross River as a major agribusiness hub in Nigeria.
