NIGERIA earned $338.17 million from cocoa and cocoa products last year, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has said.
Also, cocoa accounted for 20.8 per cent of total of non-oil exports.
Speaking on Monday in Lagos at a capacity building programme on cocoa grading and regulations, the Chief Executive, NEPC, Mr Segun Awolowo, said Nigerian cocoa beans have commanded consistently high demand for several decades.
He said: “Our cocoa is rated as some of the best in the world because of flavor and aroma.”
He noted however that as of 2072 Cote D’Voire and Ghana could boast of production levels of roughly two million and one million metric tons respectively.
According to him, Nigeria production still hovers around 245,000 metric tons.
“This low level of production is a result of many factors including poor grading and quality related issues,” he said.
In line with the vision of the zero oil plan, Awolowo said the council has intensified efforts at increasing production.
He said: ”We have donated seedlings and agro inputs including sprayers, agro chemicals as well as organizing capacity building on integrated pest management for our cocoa farmers and processors. Workshops for cocoa famers and stakeholders were held in Akure, Ondo State; Oshogbo, Osun State, Umuahia, Abia State, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State and Ikom, Cross River State.”
