KEY POINTS
- Cocoa exports hit N1.2 trillion in Q4 2024.
- EU deforestation rules reshape Nigeria’s cocoa trade.
- Government eyes 500,000 ton output by 2025.
Nigeria’s cocoa trade just had its biggest leap in years. Export values rocketed from about N171 billion in the final quarter of 2023 to N1.2 trillion in the same period of 2024 a 606 percent jump that’s drawing fresh attention to the sector’s potential.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement, Kingsley Uzoma, told a cocoa roundtable in Abuja that the surge reflects both global appetite for the commodity and the resilience of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Nigeria cocoa exports become strategic economic lever
Uzoma called cocoa “no longer just a commodity,” but a central driver of economic transformation. He said the crop now accounts for nearly 29 percent of Nigeria’s total agricultural exports and 5.6 percent of all non-oil exports, placing it among the country’s most valuable assets. The federal government, he also added, is pushing sustainability, value addition, and compliance with global trade rules to keep the momentum.
EU rules reshape Nigeria cocoa exports
A major shift is further being driven by the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which bars the import of cocoa and other goods linked to deforestation after December 2020. It requires full traceability, due diligence, and proof of forest-free supply chains. More than 300,000 smallholder farmers responsible for 80 percent of Nigeria’s cocoa are now adapting to meet the standards.
Production targets set for 2025
Nigeria produced 320,000 tons of cocoa in the 2023/2024 season, aiming to push that figure to 500,000 tons by 2025 through targeted support and technology. The government is deploying blockchain, satellite mapping, and farmer-support programs to boost yields without forest encroachment.
A technical working group and national task force have been established to coordinate EUDR compliance. Also to position Nigeria as a sustainable cocoa powerhouse.
