Cocoa farmers across Nigeria have lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council for approving the elevation of the National Cocoa Management Committee into a full-fledged National Cocoa Board—a move they describe as a “game-changer” for the industry.
The commendation came from the Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA), Nigeria Chapter, and the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), two of the country’s leading cocoa farmer organizations. Speaking on their behalf, Comrade Adeola Adegoke, who serves as both Global President of COFAAA and National President of CFAN, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and the Secretariat of the defunct committee for their roles in making this long-awaited reform a reality.
In a statement made available to The Guardian in Abuja on Sunday, Adegoke emphasized that the new board will focus strictly on regulation and industry development, without interfering in cocoa marketing activities.
He noted that for over five years, stakeholders have consistently called for stronger institutional support, and the board’s mandate must prioritize improving regulation, boosting productivity, and offering direct assistance to cocoa farmers—especially in light of unstable prices and limited government backing.
“Our farmers have been financing their own inputs and infrastructure despite forming the foundation of the industry,” Adegoke said. “This new board must correct that imbalance with targeted interventions and structured support.”
He stressed that Nigeria’s cocoa sector can no longer run on “autopilot,” warning that without coordinated efforts, the country risks further decline in one of its most critical non-oil export sectors.
Highlighting the economic value of cocoa, Adegoke revealed that in 2023, Nigeria exported cocoa beans and related products worth N356.16 billion, with exports in 2024 projected at approximately N2.7 trillion (US$1.76 billion). Despite ranking seventh globally and fourth in Africa in cocoa production, Nigeria has the capacity to lead the continent—if the new board effectively implements the Nigeria Cocoa Plan with clear policy direction, adequate funding, and strategic rehabilitation programs.
“These programs should integrate sustainable practices such as traceability, agroforestry, agroecology, due diligence, quality assurance, domestic processing, and youth engagement,” he said.
In a related appeal, the associations called on the Ondo State Government, led by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to urgently intervene in the plight of cocoa farmers in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area. Farmers in the region have reportedly suffered major losses due to an oil palm investment project by SAO Company encroaching on government-reserved cocoa farmlands.
Ondo, which produces about 90,000 metric tonnes of cocoa annually, is considered Nigeria’s leading cocoa-producing state.
Finally, the associations congratulated the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) for successfully hosting a recent event in Akure focused on promoting deforestation-free cocoa production—an initiative they say is vital to securing the industry’s future and aligning with global sustainability standards.
