The Federal Government has clarified that it has no plans to ban the export of raw cocoa beans, stressing that its policy is focused on promoting value addition and expanding local cocoa processing to boost earnings from the commodity.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, made the clarification at the weekend following public discussions suggesting that the government intended to prohibit the export of raw cocoa.
Kyari said the government's objective is to encourage greater domestic processing of cocoa while maintaining Nigeria's position as a reliable exporter in the global market.
"The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has noted public discussions suggesting that the Federal Government intends to ban the export of raw cocoa beans. This is not the position of the Government. Our objective is value addition, not an export ban," the minister stated.
According to him, the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and is aimed at building a globally competitive cocoa industry through increased local processing and investment.
He explained that raw cocoa exports would continue to play an important role as Nigeria gradually expands its domestic processing capacity.
"Our 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," Kyari said.
The minister added that the policy is also in line with ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria's agricultural exports by improving traceability and ensuring compliance with international standards, thereby sustaining access to premium global markets.
Reaffirming the government's position, Kyari emphasized that there is no ban on raw cocoa exports, noting that the focus is on increasing value addition to enable Nigeria to derive greater economic benefits from its cocoa industry while remaining competitive in the international market.
"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," the statement added.