Cocoa farmers commend Tinubu on bill to establish National Management Board

The Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA), Nigeria Chapter, and the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) have expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for approving the draft bill to establish the National Cocoa Management Board (NCMB), which aims to regulate the cocoa sub-sector for economic development.

Comrade Adeola Adegoke, the Global President of COFAAA and CFAN, made the commendation in a statement released over the weekend.

According to him: “The two cocoa leading farmers’ organisations being led by Comrade Adeola Adegoke, Global President of Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA) and National President of Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) appreciated Mr. President, the entire members of the Federal Executive Council, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari and Secretariat team of the National Cocoa Management Committee for this positive development for the industry which severally the Associations and other stakeholders in the industry have called for a board that will be solely for the regulation and development of the industry but will not be involved in the marketing of cocoa’’.

Highlighting the major mandate of the board, the president said: “the assignment of the board would be to support the regulation, production, productivity and the incentivisation of the industry through a direct support to the cocoa farmers whose livelihoods have been threatened by the fluntuation of cocoa prices or dynamics of the sector without a deliberate support to the cocoa farmers who are the golden hens that lay the golden eggs and whom often provide their inputs and infrastructures for themselves in their cocoa production communities.

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‘‘It is the belief of the Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA), Nigeria Chapter and Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) and other cocoa industry players whom have been consistently agitating that the Nigeria cocoa industry cannot continue to be on autopilot position but that there must a deliberate plan to repositioning it in order to regain the lost glory of the cocoa economy which had contributed to the generation of foreign exchange, provide employment for millions of people, livelihoods for the thousands of cocoa farmers and their families and generated a total exports values of N356.16 billion worth of cocoa beans and its allied products in the year 2023 while about N2. 7 trillion (US$1.76 billion) was approximately the total cocoa value exports in the year 2024.

“Nigeria is currently at seventh position in the global cocoa production and fourth in Africa according to ICCO figures.

“However, it our belief that Nigeria has what it takes to become a leading cocoa producing country in Africa if the board is put in place to drive the Nigeria Cocoa Plan and put in place enabling policies back up with funding that will create a resurgence in cocoa production across the cocoa producing States by carrying out massive rehabilitation along a sustainable practices that align with international standards which entails traceability, agroforestry & agroecology practices, due diligence, quality control, local processing, youth inclusiveness etc”, he said.

He therefore appeal on behalf of the association to the Government of Ondo State, under the leadership of the Executive Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa to look into the plight of the cocoa farmers in Ore, Odigbo local government whose livelihoods have been threatened by the approved Oilpalm production investment by SAO company in the area which have gravely affected cocoa farms of some of the cocoa farmers in the affected communities located in the Government Reserve areas.

“We plead that Ondo State Government should look into the matter discreetly bearing in mind that Ondo State is a leading cocoa producing States in Nigeria with about 90,000 MTS which could affect the cocoa production expansion future of the State if care is not taken and also negatively impacted the livelihoods and survival of the affected farmers with their dependable families.”

“However, the Associations use this opportunity to congratulate the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) on the successful hosting of their event in Akure recently which dwelt on deforestation free cocoa production for Nigeria which is the pathway to a sustainable cocoa economy for our future cocoa industry.” He added.