A Nigerian multinational agrifood company, JR Farms Group, and the Liberian Ministry of Agriculture have signed the implementation agreement for a $60 million coffee partnership aimed at transforming Liberia’s coffee industry and creating close to 500,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The 20-year partnership, which follows an agreement signed in Monrovia on June 8, 2026, is designed to develop the entire coffee value chain, from production and farmer training to processing and access to international markets.
Under the deal, JR Farms Group will establish commercial-scale coffee nursery hubs across five counties, while more than 200,000 farmers are expected to be registered, profiled and brought into the programme.
The project will also involve the training of extension workers and farmers, establishment of coffee washing stations and development of market infrastructure to help place Liberian coffee on the global market.
The initiative is in line with the Liberian government’s decision to make coffee the country’s priority crop under the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) “One Country, One Priority Crop” initiative.
The government has allocated land to JR Farms Group in five counties for the establishment of commercial nurseries and breeding programmes for Liberica, Arabica and Robusta coffee varieties.
The first phase of the nursery programme will commence in Bomi and Great Cape Mount counties, with each hub expected to produce one million coffee seedlings per cycle.
Since the partnership was signed, JR Farms Group said it had received support from international organisations, including the International Labour Organisation (ILO), FAO and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
The company also recently presented the project at the ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, where discussions were held on support for Liberian coffee farmers.
Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of JR Farms Group, Olawale Rotimi Opeyemi, said the project had recorded significant progress since the signing of the main agreement.
“We are happy about the current progression of the project. Since signing the main partnership in June 2026, we have recorded tremendous progress and serious commitment to the partnership,” he said.
Opeyemi said the project’s scale could create close to half a million direct and indirect jobs, particularly in rural communities, while boosting Liberia’s GDP and income.
He said the initiative would also help Liberia become a major exporter of coffee.
“We are confident the project is heading in a great direction, with the scale, the project will create close to half a million direct and indirect jobs in Liberia, majorly in rural areas, contribute to the country’s GDP and income and position Liberia as a global exporter of coffee,” he said.
Opeyemi commended Liberia’s Minister of Agriculture, Dr Neutah Alexander, for the ministry’s commitment to the partnership and praised President Joseph Boakai for supporting agricultural development in the country.
