The Federal Government has dismissed reports claiming it intends to ban the export of raw cocoa beans, reaffirming that its policy is centred on boosting value addition within Nigeria’s cocoa sector rather than restricting exports.

This clarification was made in a statement released by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, over the weekend.

Kyari explained that the government’s priority is to encourage increased local processing of cocoa into higher-value products such as cocoa butter, cocoa powder and chocolate, while allowing the export of raw cocoa beans to continue as the country’s processing capacity grows.

According to him, the ministry has observed some reports and public discussions suggesting that the Federal Government plans to ban raw cocoa bean exports, but he emphasised that such claims are inaccurate and do not represent the government’s policy.

“Our goal is to create an enabling environment that encourages more investment in processing, increases farmers’ incomes, creates jobs, and enables Nigeria to earn more from every tonne of cocoa produced,” he noted.

The minister added that, the Federal Government remains committed to developing a globally competitive cocoa industry by promoting greater domestic processing while sustaining Nigeria’s reputation as a dependable cocoa exporter.

He stressed that raw cocoa bean exports will continue to play a significant role as Nigeria gradually expands its domestic processing capacity.

Kyari further stated that the government’s strategy aligns with broader efforts to strengthen agricultural exports through improved traceability and compliance with international standards.

According to him, these measures will help Nigeria maintain access to premium global markets while improving the competitiveness of its cocoa products.

Despite an overall decline in agricultural exports, natural cocoa butter emerged as the sixth most exported agricultural product, generating N41.69 billion and accounting for 3.56 per cent of total agricultural export earnings.

The performance of cocoa butter reflects Nigeria’s gradual transition toward exporting more processed cocoa products, although raw cocoa beans remain the country’s leading cocoa export.

The Federal Government’s emphasis on value addition comes as cocoa continues to dominate Nigeria’s agricultural exports, making it one of the country’s most important sources of non-oil export revenue. Superior-quality cocoa beans generated N596.9 billion in export earnings during the first quarter of 2026, representing about 51 per cent of total agricultural exports.

When exports of cocoa butter, standard-quality cocoa beans and roasted cocoa beans are included, cocoa-related products contributed more than N643 billion to the country’s agricultural export earnings.

The government’s strategy he said, is designed to encourage greater domestic processing, enabling Nigeria to generate higher export revenues by producing and exporting more value-added cocoa products such as cocoa butter, cocoa powder and chocolate.