Nigeria's country manager of the Sustainable Tree Crops Programme (STCP), a programme warehoused at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Dr. Chris Okafor, has received this year's cocoa sustainability award from the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF).

The award, which was conferred on him recently at a reception organised for the participants at the 12th WCF Partnership Meeting held in Washington DC. In a message from Dr. Stephan Weise, IITA-Ghana, made available to The Guardian, the honour was "in recognition of his contributions to sustainable cocoa development in Nigeria."

"I wanted to inform you that Chris Okafor has received this year's World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) Cocoa Sustainability Award. The honor which is in recognition of his contributions to sustainable cocoa development in Nigeria was announced and conferred on him ...at a reception organized for the participants at the 12th WCF Partnership Meeting held in Washington DC., " the statement read.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate him and his team," Dr. Weise added.

The award was presented by Dr. Clive Barnes, Assistant Vice President, R&D Knowledge Management of Nestle, and Co-Vice Chair, World Cocoa Foundation.

Another note on Okafor indicated that "he engineered the successful implementation of the STCP pilot project in Nigeria" as the "STCP-Nigeria worked with national partners to demonstrate the effectiveness of Farmer Field School approach in improving the productivity of cocoa farms in an environmentally friendly and socially responsible."

It was declared that "a significant landmark in the pilot project is also the facilitation of the growth of the Tonikoko Farmers Multipurpose Coop Union for effective member services and profitable trade engagements."

Explaining further on Okafor's achievements, it was disclosed that, 'through evidence-based policy dialogue at the highest levels of government, he championed the cause of incorporating the farmer field school approach into national cocoa development agenda. Presently, the National Cocoa Development Committee (NCDC), a presidential initiative of the government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the 14 cocoa-producing states of the country has adopted the approach for training of cocoa farmers. Seven of the states have already developed the FFS capacity."

Okafor, according to the note, "is leading an effort to institutionalise farmer-led extension service delivery in the cocoa sector in Nigeria." And, "in recognition of his contributions to the Nigeria cocoa economy and the tree crops sector in general, he had served as a key player in drafting the first cocoa policy for Nigeria as well as preparing a development program document for Allanblackia, a new tree crop."