Kola production and utilization for economic development

Kola is an important cash crop to a significant proportion of Nigerian population who are involved in kola farming, trading and industrial utilization. Research on the improvement of kola productivity and utilization is one of the major mandates of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), where remarkable achievements have been made on kola. CRIN has developed improved Cola nitida hybrids with short maturation period of 5 years and an annual average yield of about 2000 nuts/tree/year. The kola pod husk has been used in the manufacture of poutry feeds, snail feed (KOLA-T), liquid detergent and organic fertilizer. Other products are the kola wine, kola soft drink and chocolate. All these products have been developed by CRIN and are waiting appropriate funding by the government or any investor who will buy the patent rights or go into collaborative venture with CRIN. This paper highlights these achievements and suggests strategies to enhance investment opportunities in kola which will transform into economic empowerment.