New Telegraph Admin 
To drive value addition and boost the country’s foreign exchange (forex) inflows through agriculture, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has disclosed the state’s plans to establish three cocoa processing hubs. The Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade, and Investment, Folashade Ambrose- Medebem, who represented the governor, made this known during the International Cocoa Forum held in Lagos recently. Sanwo-Olu explained that the state was a trade hub for value addition and that with its strategic geographical position and robust infrastructure Lagos was poised to become a central hub for cocoa processing and trade. “Our ports, coupled with an efficient transportation network, provide an excellent platform for exporting processed cocoa products to Africa and the world,” Sanwo-Olu said.
“We plan to establish at least three major cocoa processing plants in Lagos, each with a capacity to process 10,000 metric tons annually,” he stated. The governor said that the processing plants in the country would increase its cocoa processing by 40 per cent by 2026, adding that the state would train over 20,000 cocoa farmers and small-scale enterprises through various intervention programmes. According to him, the journey to transforming Nigeria’s cocoa industry into a more value-added and proper industry requires collaboration, adding that Lagos state with its vision and resources is commit- ted to leading this transformation. “Together, we can create a sustainable and prosperous future for the cocoa industry, our economy, and our people,” he explained.
Nigeria, the world’s fourth largest cocoa producer and supplier, saw the value of its global supply decline by 3.4 per cent to 280,000 metric tons in the 2022/2023 season, according to the International Cocoa Organisation in its latest data on global production (ICCO). The country exports the bulk of its cash crops raw, despite its agricultural potential. Africa’s most populous country is still falling short of its non-oil exports owing to low agro-processing and lack of competitiveness. In his remarks, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State commended the ongoing efforts of the Western Region Development Initiative (DAWN) – a private sector- led initiative to employ a regional framework to revive cocoa production in the country.
He urged each state from the southwest region to build a local revival plan for cocoa that should have a bottom–top approach, saying it was the best strategic approach for the nation and especially the cocoa-producing states. “To pursue that line, each state needs to consider a standing partnership with the Cocoa Research Institute. This can be complemented by the various researchers in various higher schools in our states,” said Governor Ademola who was represented by Tola Faseru, Commissioner of Agriculture, Osun State.
“The reality confronting us is the imperative of returning to our old cash crops with deep value additions and processing to finished products,” the governor said. Speaking on Osun’s performance in the production of the commodity, he noted that Osun could produce 80,000 metric tonnes annually but is currently producing 22,000 metric tonnes, noting that cocoa remains the major source of earnings for the state as it contributes significantly to the state treasury.
