• Seeks $25b for gas pipeline to Europe
Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to reviving Nigeria’s cocoa industry and broader agricultural value chain, with a strategic shift from cocoa production to processing.
  
Speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday, during a meeting with a delegation from the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), led by its President, Mr Chris Vincent, Shettima emphasised the government’s drive to promote sustainable cocoa farming, enhance forest preservation, and add value to Nigeria’s cocoa exports.

He revealed that as part of the renewed effort, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved the establishment of a National Cocoa Management Board (NCMB) to spearhead the transformation.
  
Shettima highlighted the soaring global price of cocoa and stressed the importance of value addition.  
  
“A tonne of raw cocoa might earn you $9,000, but when processed, it can bring in $30,000 and up to $50,000 if turned into chocolate bars,” he noted.
  
He pledged Nigeria’s full cooperation with the WCF and said he would personally engage the Taraba State governor to secure 10,000 hectares of land in the Kurmi Local Government Area for cocoa expansion initiatives by WCF and its partners.
  
In response, WCF President Mr Chris Vincent, expressed the Foundation’s readiness to collaborate with the Nigerian government, especially under the European Union’s sustainable cocoa regulations.
  
“We’re in the middle of a global cocoa supply shortage, and prices have quadrupled in the last three years. We’re looking for new, sustainable sources of cocoa, and Nigeria is well-positioned for growth,” Vincent said.

MEANWHILE, Vice President Shettima has said Nigeria is actively pursuing a $25 billion undersea gas pipeline project aimed at supplying natural gas to Europe, positioning the country as a leading player in global energy markets.