Cocoa: How Nigeria can overtake Ivory Coast, Ghana before 2026

Nigeria is capable of achieving the vision of doubling its premium cocoa beans and overtakes Ivory Coast and Ghana before 2026 if the smallholder farmers can be supported by cocoa producing state governments to irrigate farms all-year-round across the country.

Nigeria is currently placed fourth in cocoa production behind Ivory Coast, Ghana and Indonesia with about 2.2 million metric tonnes; 800,000 metric tonnes; and 739,483 metric tonnes, respectively, while Nigeria with 340,000 metric tonnes is targeting 500,000 metric tonnes by the end of this year.

The country accounts for 6.5 per cent share of global production, after the three countries, currently realising $700m yearly from the exports of cocoa beans and cannot afford to lose guard considering her huge investments in the cocoa industry valued close to N500b.

The National President, Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), Comrade Adeola Adegoke, who expressed optimistic on this dream, said the country is endowed with land, youth population, research resources, good soil, varieties, aroma, capacity and private sector player’s resilience.

He said: “I am of the opinion that if we, smallholder cocoa farmers can partner and be supported by cocoa producing state governments to irrigate our cocoa farms all-year-round in all the cocoa producing states in Nigeria; honestly Nigeria’s vision of doubling whatever premium cocoa beans Ivory Coast and Ghana are jointly producing achievable before 2026.

“May Nigeria dreams of becoming again the highest cocoa producer amongst cocoa origin countries possible before 2026.”

Towards achieving this dream, at the third meeting held in Akure, Ondo State recently, stakeholders under the National Cocoa Management Committee (NCMC), a body inaugurated by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), to oversee the regulation of the cocoa industry in Nigeria, focused on topical issues like the domestication of EU Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR) and how to boost the country’s cocoa production through the implementation of the National Cocoa plan were thoroughly deliberated upon.

The discussions were centered on mitigating the impending EUDR threats to Cocoa sector in Nigeria and guaranteeing a robust and transparent cocoa sector through transparency, traceability, and coordination within the cocoa industry.

Furthermore, the conference deliberated on the need for the National Cocoa Plan to be implemented by NCMC. It was also noted that the National Cocoa Board currently mulled by President Bola Tinubu is essential, and its establishment will further improve cocoa production in Nigeria.

The stakeholders said the determination of the President Tinubu to resuscitate the Agricultural Boards in order to revive the sector has reinforced the determination of the cocoa stakeholders to work together to change the Nigerian cocoa narrative.

The Nigeria Cocoa Board that was established in the year 1948 was saddled with the responsibility of developing, managing and stabilising the price of the Nigeria cocoa beans. The Guardian learnt that under her watch, the industry recorded some tremendous growth in terms of quality, flavor, production and productivity and the total regulation and development of the industry, in line with international standard practices.

The Cocoa Board was once noted for the growth of the industry and the driver of the commodity that gave the highest foreign exchange earnings to the Federal Government, especially when Nigeria was adjudged the best producer of flavor cocoa beans in West Africa with good aroma.

This policy, if well implemented, stakeholders say will bring back the lost glory of the sector, when Nigeria was regarded as the second highest producer of cocoa in the 1960’s and early 1970’s with about 490,000 metric tonnes.

However, the price stabilisation policy where cocoa farmers were greatly exploited led to the abolishment of the Board in the year 1986.

CFAN said the abolishment is like throwing away the baby with the bad water considering the growth of Ghana to Nigeria today in cocoa production.