Cross River govt appoints Pula Advisors as consultants for traceability programme

By : Solomon Azu

Date: 5 December 2025 10:38am WAT

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Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu

Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu

The Cross River State Government has appointed Pula Advisors as Lead Consultant for its European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) Compliance and Traceability Programme across the cocoa, coffee and oil palm value chains.

The appointment follows a rigorous six-month engagement and technical review by the State’s Multistakeholder Committee, marking what officials describe as a major step toward global-standard sustainability governance.

Governor Bassey Otu described the partnership as a significant milestone in the state’s agricultural transformation agenda.

“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,” he said. “This partnership with Pula places us at the forefront of digital agriculture governance in Nigeria.”

During the months-long engagement, Pula and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development designed a system to provide full visibility into land use, supply chain activities and deforestation risks.

Officials said the framework integrates end-to-end traceability, land mapping, geolocation analytics and a unified digital information platform. With the EU now requiring deforestation-free commodities, the programme is seen as essential for safeguarding Cross River’s long-term competitiveness.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Rt. Hon. Johnson Ebokpo, stressed the strategic value of the collaboration.

“EUDR compliance is an opportunity to modernize our agricultural sector and strengthen data-driven decision-making,” he said. “Pula’s expertise gives us confidence that this exercise will be executed with precision, integrity and speed.”

The Multistakeholder Committee’s technical evaluation highlighted Pula’s strong alignment with the State’s 7-Year Agriculture Strategic Plan.

The Committee cited the company’s proven track record in farmer registration, polygon mapping, geolocation verification and digital platform development.

It added that Pula’s experience in Uganda and Ethiopia “positioned them as the most capable partner to lead this ambitious initiative.”

Committee Chairperson, Professor Susan Ohen, described the exercise as historic in scale.

“This project represents one of the most ambitious traceability efforts ever undertaken in Cross River State,” she said.

“We were particularly impressed by Pula’s capacity in AI-driven deforestation monitoring and geolocation analytics.”

She noted that the Committee is committed to mobilizing farmer associations, MDAs and traditional institutions to ensure full participation.

Representing Pula Advisors, Country Director Michael Enahoro reaffirmed the firm’s commitment to delivering a world-class system.

“Cross River State has made a bold and forward-looking decision,” he said. “By investing in digital infrastructure 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.”

The exercise, expected to map about 80,000 farms and conclude by Q2 2026, is projected to enhance transparency, strengthen climate resilience and advance the State’s transition to a modern, data-driven agricultural economy.

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