Cross River State has attracted a major international investment aimed at protecting its forests, saving endangered wildlife and improving the lives of cocoa farmers, following a new $2.5 million partnership between global chocolate maker The Hershey Company and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
The four-year project, announced on Monday, October 19, 2026, is expected to promote better cocoa farming practices, protect the state's remaining rainforest and create improved opportunities for rural farming communities.
According to WCS, the partnership will focus on Cross River State, which holds Nigeria's largest remaining rainforest and ranks among the country's most important cocoa-producing areas.
More than 100,000 households depend on cocoa farming for their livelihoods, while the region contributes nearly one-third of Nigeria's cocoa exports.
The project is expected to support farmers in increasing productivity without destroying more forest land to expand their farms.
Under the partnership, WCS will work with farming communities, government agencies, businesses and other stakeholders to promote climate-smart farming, agroforestry and sustainable management of natural resources.
Agroforestry involves growing crops alongside trees, helping farmers maintain productive farmland while protecting the environment.
The initiative will also strengthen forest protection and improve the tracking of cocoa beans along the supply chain to reduce the risk of cocoa production contributing to deforestation.
For Cross River communities, the project could provide an opportunity to improve farming methods, strengthen their ability to cope with changing weather conditions and prepare for new international market requirements.
The partnership also places some of the state's most endangered wildlife in the spotlight.
Cross River's forests provide a home for the critically endangered Cross River gorilla, Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees, drill monkeys and forest elephants.
The survival of these animals depends heavily on the protection of their natural habitats, which face pressure from human activities, including the expansion of agricultural land.
The new project aims to address the challenge by showing that cocoa farming and forest conservation can go hand in hand, rather than forcing communities to choose between earning a living and protecting their environment.
Nigeria's Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, welcomed the partnership, saying it supports the country's efforts to develop a sustainable cocoa sector that balances economic growth with forest protection.
WCS Nigeria Country Director, Inaoyom Imong, said the partnership would help farmers improve productivity, build climate resilience and access new market opportunities while safeguarding important forests and wildlife habitats.
For Hershey, the investment is part of efforts to strengthen cocoa supply chains by supporting farming communities and encouraging environmentally responsible production.
The partnership comes at a time when cocoa-producing communities across West Africa are facing challenges linked to climate change, farming costs and pressure on forest resources.
In Cross River, where cocoa remains an important source of income for rural households, the success of the project will depend on how effectively its benefits reach farmers and the communities living around the state's forest areas.
Although the $2.5 million commitment marks a major investment in conservation and sustainable agriculture, the real test will be whether farmers experience improved livelihoods and whether the state's forests receive stronger protection over the four-year period.
For a state blessed with valuable cocoa farms, rich forests and rare wildlife, the partnership presents an opportunity to protect its natural heritage while supporting the people whose livelihoods depend on the land.
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