The Federal Government has flagged off the distribution of one million improved hybrid cocoa seedlings to farmers across the country, in a renewed effort to revive Nigeria’s cocoa industry, boost export earnings and improve farmers’ livelihoods.

The initiative, implemented through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in collaboration with the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), forms part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to strengthen agricultural productivity and food security.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Ibadan, Oyo State, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, described the exercise as the first major step in the Federal Government’s strategy to reposition Nigeria’s cocoa sector.

The event, themed:”Scaling Sustainable Cocoa Production for Export Competitiveness and Farmers’ Prosperity under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” brought together government officials, researchers, traditional rulers, farmers and stakeholders in the cocoa value chain.

Kyari said the improved seedlings would replace ageing cocoa trees, increase productivity and provide farmers with high-yield planting materials capable of enhancing both production and income.

According to him, the initiative is aimed not only at distributing seedlings but also at restoring the competitiveness of Nigeria’s cocoa industry, improving rural livelihoods and reclaiming the country’s position among the world’s leading cocoa producers.

He recalled that Nigeria ranked as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer in the 1960s, noting that cocoa was the country’s leading export commodity and a major source of foreign exchange.

“Cocoa built more than wealth. Cocoa House was built from it, the University of Ife was established through it, and free education in the old Western Region was sustained by cocoa proceeds. That was the height of our cocoa economy,” he said.

The minister attributed Nigeria’s decline in global cocoa rankings to years of neglect and under-investment, stressing that the current administration is committed to reversing the trend through practical reforms and strategic investments.

“A nation blessed with vast arable land should not struggle with food security. Agriculture has returned to the centre of our economic agenda, and cocoa remains one of the commodities with the greatest potential to generate foreign exchange, create jobs and drive rural development,” he said.

Kyari commended CRIN, state governments, development partners, the private sector and cocoa farmers’ associations for supporting the initiative, describing their collaboration as critical to rebuilding the sector.

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba RashidiAdewoluLadoja, represented by the Ajiroba of Ibadanland, Prof. SojiAdejumo, welcomed the initiative, describing it as a major step towards restoring Nigeria’s leadership in cocoa production.
He pledged the support of the traditional institution for programmes capable of promoting agricultural development and economic growth in Ibadanland.

Earlier, the Acting Executive Director of CRIN, Dr. RashidiAdedeji, thanked the Federal Government for its continued support, saying the intervention would strengthen the institute’s mandate of developing improved cocoa varieties and advancing research for the benefit of farmers.

Also speaking, the National President of the Cocoa Association of Nigeria, MufutauAbolarinwa, described the improved seedlings as a symbol of the rebirth of Nigeria’s cocoa industry.

He expressed confidence that the intervention would significantly increase cocoa production if the seedlings were properly distributed and monitored; urging the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, as well as state ministries of agriculture to ensure the planting materials reached genuine farmers.