Stakeholders in the cocoa industry have pledged to accelerate efforts to meet the European Union’s, EU, December deadline for compliance with its deforestation-free regulation, EUDR.
This, according to them, is with a view to safeguard the nation’s cocoa exports and strengthen sustainable agricultural practices.
The stakeholders made the pledge at a Roundtable on EUDR Compliance, held in Abuja.
The roundtable was convened by the Office of the Vice-President in partnership with EU representatives, cocoa-producing states and private sector stakeholders.
It explored financing options, institutional coordination, and technology-driven solutions to ensure that Nigeria’s cocoa remains competitive in global markets and to protect the nation’s forests.
Speaking at the event, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement, Dr Kingsley Uzoma 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 noted 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.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari said Nigeria has the capacity to meet EU’s standards since many exporters are already compliant.
Represented by the Deputy Director of Cocoa, Ajayi Olutobaba, the minister emphasized the need for a harmonised national traceability and sustainability system managed by a government agency to ensure data sovereignty and ease of verification.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole said the compliance push was a challenge and 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’s requirement is an economic, environmental and developmental imperative.
“Compliance is not optional. It is about Nigeria first, ensuring that 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 Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria, Zissimos Vergos, emphasised the need for the repositioning of Nigeria as a global competitor in the cocoa sector.
“The conclusion of this meeting is that the National Cocoa Board should go out there to bring a trophy to Nigeria from repositioning it as a global competitor in the cocoa sector.”
Also, the Sustainability Manager at Tulip Cocoa Processes Ltd, Dr Taiwo Osho, called for urgent government action to clearly demarcate protected areas to prevent farming in restricted zones.
He said confusion over boundaries, low productivity and access to farmlands remain a pressing challenge in spite of the renewed interest in cocoa production.(NAN)
