Nigerian firm signs $60m coffee deal with Liberia in 20-year concession

A Nigerian agribusiness group, JR Farms, has entered into a $60 million public-private partnership concession agreement with the Government of Liberia to revitalise the country’s coffee sector.

The 20-year deal, signed on Monday in Monrovia, was facilitated by Nigerian commercial law firm EandC Legal, which provided advisory services on legal, regulatory, and commercial matters including investment protection, compliance, and risk allocation.

The agreement aims to develop over 250,000 hectares of coffee plantations and plant approximately 200 million coffee trees over two decades. It is projected to benefit more than 200,000 farmers and generate about 300,000 direct and indirect jobs across Liberia’s coffee value chain.

Liberia’s Minister of Agriculture, Dr Alexander Nuetah, described the partnership as a major milestone in efforts to revive the country’s coffee sector, empower farmers, and unlock economic opportunities for rural communities.

The founder of JR Farms Group, Olawale Oyeyemi, said the project aligns with the company’s vision of expanding African agricultural value chains, adding that Liberia’s heritage as the origin of the Liberica coffee variety positions the country for long-term growth in production and exports.

Under the concession arrangement, JR Farms will oversee operations in key coffee-producing regions including Nimba, Lofa, and Bong counties. The deal highlights the growing role of Nigerian firms in cross-border agricultural investments across West Africa.