Nigeria, EU chart path for sustainable cocoa trade

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s cocoa industry have pledged to accelerate efforts to meet the European Union’s December 2025 deadline for compliance with its deforestation-free regulation (EUDR), in a bid to safeguard the nation’s lucrative cocoa exports and strengthen sustainable agricultural practices.

Speaking at the Nigeria-EU Cocoa Roundtable on EUDR Compliance in Abuja, Dr. Kingsley Uzoma, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement, described cocoa as a strategic lever in Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.

He revealed that cocoa exports surged by 606 per cent in the last quarter of 2024, rising from N171 billion in the previous year to N1.2 trillion, accounting for 29 per cent of agricultural exports and 5.6 per cent of total non-oil exports.

“Cocoa is no longer just a commodity. It is a vital contributor to our economic transformation and a driver of our green economy agenda,” Uzoma said.

He stressed that EUDR compliance, which requires proof of deforestation-free supply chains, aligns with Nigeria’s climate goals and opens opportunities for traceability innovations, climate-smart farming, and local processing to boost job creation.

Representing the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Deputy Director of Cocoa, Ajayi Olutobaba, said Nigeria can meet the EU’s standards since many exporters are already compliant.

He emphasised the need for a harmonised national traceability and sustainability system managed by a government agency to ensure data sovereignty and ease of verification.

Dr. Taiwo Osho, Sustainability Manager at Tulip Cocoa Processes Limited, called for urgent government action to demarcate protected areas to prevent farming in restricted zones.

He said confusion over boundaries, low productivity, and access to farmland remain pressing challenges despite renewed interest in cocoa production.

For Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, the compliance push is both a challenge and a transformative opportunity for Africa’s fourth-largest cocoa exporter.

With the EU accounting for over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s cocoa exports, she stressed that meeting EUDR requirements is an economic, environmental, and developmental imperative.

“Compliance is not optional. It is about Nigeria first, ensuring our land is used sustainably, supporting our farmers and investors, and hitting our $1 trillion economy target under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” she said.

The roundtable, convened by the Office of the Vice President in partnership with EU representatives, cocoa-producing states, and private sector stakeholders, explored financing options, institutional coordination, and technology-driven solutions to ensure Nigeria’s cocoa remains competitive in global markets while protecting the nation’s forests.

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