The Cocoa Roundtable Initiative (CORI) has called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to provide strategic support for Nigeria’s cocoa industry, specifically requesting funding and the transformation of the National Cocoa Management Committee (NCMC) into a statutory board. This appeal, outlined in an open letter to the President, emphasizes the need to sustain and grow Nigeria’s cocoa economy by supporting critical regulatory bodies and providing subsidies to farmers.

The open letter, signed by CORI’s Director-General Comrade Adeola Adegoke, also urged the federal government to fund the National Task Force on the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to safeguard Nigerian cocoa from potential sanctions by the European Union, which recently extended its deadline for sustainable cocoa compliance by another 12 months. According to CORI, adequate support for the Task Force would help address EU regulatory requirements, protecting Nigeria’s cocoa exports valued at billions of dollars.

CORI commended the significant progress made by the Nigerian cocoa sector in 2024. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics indicates a remarkable 304% increase in cocoa exports in Q1 2024, rising to N438.7 billion from N108.6 billion in the same period last year. Cocoa accounted for 42.4% of Nigeria’s N1.04 trillion agricultural exports, becoming a vital source of foreign exchange amid economic reforms.

Despite these gains, CORI stressed that the unregulated cocoa market has left smallholder farmers vulnerable to low productivity, post-harvest losses, and quality issues. The establishment of the NCMC by the previous administration in 2022 was seen as a positive step, but CORI argues that insufficient funding has limited the committee’s ability to carry out essential duties like quality control, climate resilience initiatives, and monitoring child labor.

“Funding constraints have undermined the NCMC’s ability to address critical issues and enhance Nigeria’s position in the global cocoa market,” said Comrade Adegoke. He also highlighted that, given President Tinubu’s campaign promise to establish regulatory boards for key agricultural commodities, cocoa deserves priority as a top foreign exchange earner and a source of livelihood for many rural farmers.

CORI is also calling for subsidized inputs to support smallholder farmers, believing that this would boost productivity and position Nigeria to overtake Côte d’Ivoire as the leading cocoa producer in West Africa by 2027. According to CORI, providing affordable resources and infrastructure could lead to transformative prosperity for Nigeria’s cocoa farmers.

The appeal concludes with CORI’s assurance of continued collaboration with all stakeholders to advance the Nigerian cocoa sector, deepening sustainable practices and ensuring prosperity for cocoa farmers. The initiative also calls upon governors of cocoa-producing states and other industry leaders to lend their support for the industry’s growth and sustainability.

By Stephen Adeleye

Financial expert and community leader, Ambassador Dr. Samuel Babatunde-Esanuaje, has advised Nigerian youths to embrace farming as a way to achieve financial independence and improve their quality of life. Speaking with journalists at the 2024 Orokere Day celebration in Orokere-Amuro, Mopamuro Local Government Area, Kogi State, Babatunde encouraged youths to avoid social vices and look to agriculture as a sustainable response to the country’s economic challenges.

As the National Financial Consultant for the Association of 774 Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and Gbobagunwa of Amuro Land, Babatunde highlighted the role of agriculture in job creation and poverty alleviation. “We’re facing a food crisis, and meaningful involvement in farming can be a solution,” he stated. “I personally cultivate 12 hectares of rice, which shows farming is both viable and profitable.”

Babatunde pointed out that agriculture offers young people an opportunity to become self-sufficient while contributing to national food security. “With the current cost of rice at around N130,000 per 50kg for imported brands and N100,000 for local varieties, farming offers significant earning potential,” he said. “Youth engagement in agriculture can bring prosperity, while also promoting community involvement, peace, and responsibility.”

In addition, Babatunde called on the government to address key security issues, including the protection of farmlands and tackling the threats of banditry and kidnappings that undermine agricultural productivity. “Ensuring safety will allow more people to pursue farming and, in turn, strengthen food security,” he added.

Retired Commodore Folusho Daniel, a former representative of Mopamuro in the Kogi Assembly, echoed Babatunde’s call for youth empowerment. “We need to focus on employment and engagement for our youth,” he said. “This is essential not only for their future but also for reducing insecurity across the country.”

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The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Gender Equality Initiative, through its HER+ initiative, has emphasized the urgent need for improved access to agricultural land and resources for women.
This call to action was made during a high-level dialogue held on October 9, 2024, in Abuja, aimed at addressing barriers women face in Nigeria’s agrifood sector.

The dialogue served as a platform for stakeholders from government, civil society, and academia to collaborate on innovative approaches that recognize women as essential agents of change in agriculture.

Jordan Kyle, lead for the HER+ Initiative’s voice work package, highlighted the importance of integrating women’s perspectives into agricultural policies, stating, “Women are differently affected by climate shocks. Solutions designed without women’s voices are unlikely to work effectively for them.”
She stressed that transforming societal norms requires women to have a seat at the decision-making table.

The event gathered a various range of stakeholders, including government representatives and researchers, to explore strategies for enhancing women’s influence in policy-making. A key focus was the Women Empowerment in Agrifood Governance (WEAGov) framework developed by CGIAR researchers, which aims to increase women’s policy influence. “In Nigeria, women are often excluded from governance institutions. WEAGov serves as a tool to identify entry points for increasing women’s policy influence,” Kyle noted.

Mrs. Ifeoma Anyanwu, Deputy Director of Gender Mainstreaming at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, emphasized the need for actionable steps to fund and implement policies, stating, “WEAGov is serving as a trigger to activate attention among policymakers.”

Participants expressed concerns about societal norms that limit women’s effectiveness in the agrifood sector. A Post-Doctorate Fellow from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture noted significant gender-based restrictions, including limitations in financial autonomy, technology access, and leadership roles.

Professor Anthony Onoja, President of the Agricultural Policy Research Network and Director of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Development at the University of Port Harcourt, discussed the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations, particularly women, who face systemic disempowerment. He advocated for women’s inclusion in climate change adaptation research and decision-making processes, proposing that empowering women through cooperatives and engaging religious leaders can enhance their economic participation and resilience.

Jumoke Adeyeye, a Gender Specialist at IITA, underscored the significance of CGIAR’s focus on gender and climate change. She stated that the initiative aims to enhance women’s economic resilience by addressing transformative changes and improving governance and policy issues.

A Program Officer at the Justice, Development and Peace Commission, Adedeji Tolu, echoed the need for co-designed research that includes women in climate change adaptation strategies. He remarked, “Women become more vulnerable due to their disempowerment in terms of voice and financial autonomy.”

Hyacinth Edeh’s opening remarks emphasized the critical roles women play in agricultural sustainability, noting that women represent about 65 percent of the rural labor force. “To close the gender gaps in the agricultural sector, we need to ensure that women are central to food security solutions,” he stated.

Nkechi Ilochi-Kanny, Director of Business Development and Innovation at ActionAid Nigeria, highlighted the necessity for collective action to address gender inequality. “Voice is power. Dismantling patriarchal biases must be done intentionally. Women’s leadership is essential to achieving gender equality and empowerment,” she said.
At the forum it was highlighted tha women Nigeria face significant barriers to owning land and achieving economic empowerment due to societal norms requiring husband’s permission to control productive assets.
This severely limits women’s economic power and decision-making capabilities, forcing them to seek approval for basic business decisions.
To change the narratives the stakeholders advocated Community Dialogues to raise awareness and promote discussions on improving women’s access to land and resources Radio Programs featuring experts and local leaders to promote gender equality, Gender Dialogue engaging community, family, and governmental levels to change attitudes toward women’s rights