The Federal Government has refuted reports of an impending ban on raw cocoa bean exports, clarifying that its primary focus is to promote value addition within Nigeria’s cocoa industry. This clarification was issued in a statement on Friday, July 17, 2026, by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari.
Senator Kyari stated that the government’s objective is to encourage more local processing of cocoa into higher-value products like cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and chocolate. Raw cocoa exports will continue as domestic processing capacity expands.
He emphasized that public discussions suggesting an export ban do not reflect the government’s position. The goal is to create an enabling environment that fosters investment in processing, increases farmers’ incomes, creates jobs, and enables Nigeria to earn more from every tonne of cocoa produced.
Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the government remains committed to building a globally competitive cocoa industry. This involves encouraging greater local processing while maintaining Nigeria’s position as a reliable exporter of cocoa.
The government’s approach also aligns with efforts to strengthen agricultural exports through improved traceability and compliance with international standards. This ensures continued access to premium global markets and enhances the competitiveness of Nigerian cocoa.
According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on June 8, Nigeria’s agricultural export sector faced significant headwinds in the first quarter of 2026. Total agricultural trade reached N2 trillion, with exports accounting for N1.17 trillion.
Agricultural exports fell by 31.20% compared with N1.7 trillion recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2025. Exports also declined by 11.39% from N1.32 trillion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Despite the overall decline, natural cocoa butter ranked as the sixth most exported agricultural product, generating N41.69 billion and accounting for 3.56% of agricultural export earnings. This highlights Nigeria’s gradual shift toward exporting more processed cocoa products, though raw cocoa beans remain dominant.
Cocoa continues to be a key driver of non-oil export earnings, dominating Nigeria’s agricultural exports. Superior quality cocoa beans generated N596.9 billion in export earnings during the first quarter of 2026, representing about 51% of total agricultural exports.
When cocoa butter, standard quality cocoa beans, and roasted cocoa beans are included, cocoa-related products contributed more than N643 billion to agricultural exports. The government’s strategy aims to increase the value derived from Nigeria’s cocoa industry without disrupting existing export markets for raw cocoa beans.
