The focus on agriculture under this dispensation is not limited to food items alone. Part of it is also geared towards bringing back that era when Nigeria was a known big producer of cocoa in the world. The development now is that just as some states in the country are revving up the effort in the production of cocoa in Nigeria, Lagos state, which was not known to be a cocoa belt, has shown interest in processing cocoa. The government has disclosed plans to build three cocoa processing plants by 2025 with a production capacity of at least 10,000 metric tonnes yearly. This was made known by the state’s commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem. She said it when she represented the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the International Cocoa and Chocolate Forum held in Lagos. The state, which is not known to be in the league of states where cocoa farming is done, wants to take advantage of its location in the zone where the crop is produced in Nigeria. Governor Sanwo-Olu said his administration hopes to leverage the strategic geographical position of the state to turn it into a major cocoa trading hub in Nigeria. To achieve this, the state government plans to train and empower around 20,000 cocoa agro-processors and SMEs by 2025 under diverse initiatives. That plan is not just on paper. The government is already working on it. Hear this: “We are already working on a strategic roadmap for the state to explore the potentials of cocoa to increase its local processing to 40% of total production, facilitate the establishment of at least three major cocoa processing- each with the capacity to process at least 10,000 metric tonnes annually as well as train and empower over 20,000 cocoa Agro-processors/SMEs by 2025 through various programmes.” The state is looking beyond raising the numbers. It is also concerned about job creation and value addition. The governor noted that adding value to Nigeria’s cocoa industry requires a strategic partnership between different stakeholders in the cocoa value chain to generate revenue and create jobs, as well as achieve economic diversification and development. He added, “With the current economic challenges, compounded by the declining value, we believe the nation can harness and multiply in geometric proportion the current economic benefit it is deriving from cocoa production through a multifaceted approach.” The Sanwo-Olu administration sees beyond increasing production and job opportunities. It has also recognised an avenue through which it could provide leadership in the area of agriculture, and utilising its coastal region location as gateway for Nigeria to access the world, and also take a lead in value addition in the cocoa industry in Nigeria. After all, it had gotten a taste of that in the defunct western region, which established the cocoa industry in Ikeja.So, it was not surprising when the governor said, “With this vision and resources, Lagos state is committed to leading this transformation. Together, we can create a sustainable and prosperous future for the cocoa industry, our economy and our people.”
LAGOS GOES INTO COCOA PROCESSING
