Tinubu Ends Raw Cocoa Exports, Launches Plan for Local Processing

President Bola Tinubu has announced that Nigeria will stop exporting raw cocoa beans while importing finished chocolate products, as part of efforts to expand local processing, create jobs and increase foreign exchange earnings.

Represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, at the 2026 Cocoa Value Addition Summit in Abuja, Tinubu said Nigeria must move away from exporting raw agricultural commodities and focus on producing finished products locally.

The President said Nigeria would process cocoa within the country, produce cocoa butter, manufacture chocolate and develop Nigerian brands for the international market.

He noted that while Africa produces about 70 per cent of the world’s cocoa, the continent receives only a small share of the global chocolate industry’s earnings because most processing and branding take place abroad.

Tinubu said Nigeria’s cocoa sector has huge potential, with over 300,000 farming families cultivating the crop across more than 1.4 million hectares of land.

Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, said the government’s policy would help reduce reliance on raw exports and strengthen domestic manufacturing.

He added that Nigeria was working with Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon to build a stronger African cocoa alliance that would improve the continent’s influence in the global cocoa market.

The Bank of Industry also pledged support for investors in the cocoa value chain, including processing plants, packaging facilities and chocolate production.

The summit concluded with the adoption of measures aimed at boosting local cocoa processing, attracting investment, increasing farmers’ income and positioning Nigeria as a major player in the global cocoa industry.

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