ABUJA — The Federal Government has said it has no plan to ban the export of raw cocoa beans, clarifying that its focus is on value addition, not restriction.
The clarification was made on Friday in a statement by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari CON.
The Minister said the Ministry had noted public discussions suggesting that the Federal Government intended to ban the export of raw cocoa beans, but stressed that this was not the position of the Government.
”Our objective is value addition, not an export ban,” Senator Kyari stated.
He explained that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Federal Government is committed to building a globally competitive cocoa industry by encouraging greater local processing while maintaining Nigeria’s position as a reliable exporter of cocoa.
”Raw cocoa exports will continue to play an important role as we expand domestic processing capacity,” the Minister said.
He added that the 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.
Senator Kyari noted that the approach is also consistent with efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural exports through improved traceability and compliance with international standards, to ensure continued access to premium global markets.
”The message is clear: the Federal Government is not banning raw cocoa exports. We are promoting value addition so that Nigeria captures more value from its cocoa while remaining competitive in the global market,” he concluded.
Value addition, not ban: FG clarifies position on cocoa exports
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