By Anietie Akpan
The need for the European Commission (EC) and the African Union (AU) to jointly invest in large-scale coconut plantations to strengthen food security, create jobs, and promote rural development across Africa for generational wealth has been advocated.
President of the National Coconut Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NACOPMAN), Hajia Hariratu Sulaiman Yakubu, made the call during a meeting with European and African Union Simulation Agenda 2063 delegates led by Ambassador Young Piero Omatsaye.
Yakubu, who is also the Founder of the Double Three Farms Foundation Group, said coconut farming offers “generational wealth” and remains one of the most sustainable agricultural ventures on the continent.
“Coconut takes about three to five years to mature, but afterward, you harvest every 18 days. It sustains families for decades and can transform communities,” she said.
Popularly known as Mama Coconut, Yakubu explained that the foundation has established the All-Season Farmers Initiative to promote year-round production, export standards, and youth and women empowerment.
She emphasized that the farms, which have started operations in Kogi State and are expanding nationwide, are part of a vision to spread across Africa as a sustainable investment and generational legacy.
Yakubu further called for a mindset shift towards self-reliance and productivity among African farmers and leaders.
The Director of Parliament African Union Simulation Agenda 2063, Ambassador Omatsaye, lauded the Double Three Farms Foundation for linking agribusiness with social impact, noting that his team plans a $300 million hospital project in Nigeria as part of efforts to deepen European–African cooperation.
“We are here for real investments — to share responsibility and prosperity,” he said.
A representative of the European Commission, Ms. Velichka Stamenova, expressed readiness to support Double Three Farms’ initiatives through EU funding and private investment partnerships.
Also, Rwanda’s Engr. Patrick Kagabo commended the Double Three model, pledging to explore the possibility of adapting coconut farming to Rwanda’s climate conditions.
The meeting ended with a shared commitment to advance agricultural and export-driven partnerships between Africa and Europe.
Highpoint of the event was the decoration of Ms. Stamenova and Ambassador Omatsaye as Special Ambassadors of the Double Three Farms Foundation and Coconut Development Initiative in Africa in recognition of their support for agribusiness collaboration and sustainable rural development.
