The federal government has dismissed claims that it intends to ban the export of raw cocoa beans, reaffirming, rather, that a policy focus on boosting value addition within Nigeria’s cocoa processing sector.

Clarifying this position, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said the government’s priority is to encourage increased local processing of cocoa into higher-value products such as cocoa butter, cocoa powder and chocolate as the country’s processing capacity grows, while sustaining the export of raw cocoa beans.

In a statement over the weekend, Kyari acknowledged some reports and public discussions suggesting that the federal government plans to ban the export of raw cocoa beans, but he emphasised that such claims are inaccurate and do not represent the government’s policy.

Instead, “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.

He restated the federal government’s commitment to developing a globally competitive cocoa industry by promoting greater domestic processing while sustaining Nigeria’s reputation as a dependable cocoa exporter.

According to Kyari, raw cocoa bean export will continue to play a significant role as Nigeria gradually expands its domestic processing capacity. He explained that this aligns with broader efforts to strengthen agricultural exports through improved traceability and compliance with international standards.

These measures, he stated, will help Nigeria maintain access to premium global markets while improving the competitiveness of its cocoa products.

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

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

However, 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 over N643 billion to the country’s agricultural export earnings.

The minister further explained that the strategy is to encourage greater domestic processing, enabling Nigeria to generate higher export revenues by exporting more value-added cocoa products, such as cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and chocolate.