The Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga has disclosed that Nigeria realised about $900m from the export of cocoa and cocoa products in 2012.
He stated this during the National Sensitisation Workshop of the project on Sanitary PhytoSanitary Stardards Capacity Building in Africa at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja.
In his address read by the Ag. Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olakunle Sogboola the Minister said cocoa is the second largest foreign exchange earner after crude oil and generates over 2 million jobs directly and indirectly along its value chain.

“The global market for cocoa is very huge, growing at an average of 3% per annum. Nigeria’s cocoa export has equally grown over the years by an average of 40% annually and a cumulative of 280% from $215m in 2006 to $822.8m from the export of cocoa and cocoa products last year.

He added “Nigeria is the world’s 4th largest producer and exporter of cocoa. Paradoxically, over 90% of the cocoa produced is exported as our domestics consumption of this strategic commodity is barely 3%. Given this scenario, not only is increased local consumption encouraged, the pursuance of value addition in our export drive has also become the ultimate goal of substantially reducing the export of raw cocoa and ensuring stable and improved income for our farmers”.

Aganga noted that, the primary goal of the country was to secure a sustainable market for cocoa and cocoa products as well as effort to protect food safety and treats of pesticides and contaminants to human health.

According to him, “this capacity building workshop- the SPS Cocoa Africa Projects’- at this time is not only appropriate, but also in line with government’s commitment to the continued growth and development of this vital industry through improved quality standards. It is also in compliance with prescribed international regulations regarding pesticides residues, banned agro-chemicals and other harmful substances”.

“It is expected that at the end of the implementation of this project in Nigeria, we would have trained adequate personnel capable of conducting in-depth analysis of cocoa and other food products, in addition to well-equipped and functional laboratories, which will conform to any SPS regulation anywhere in the world”

The Minister said that his Ministry and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture will continue to encourage the development of farmers and commodity associations for proper orientation and education on SPS issues with a view to promoting and strengthening global market access for our agricultural and non-oil products.

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Dauda Kigbu who was represented by Director of Commodities and Products Inspectorate, Mr. Julius Apanisile stated that the essence of the workshop was to create awareness about Sanitary PhytoSanitary Standards Capacity building to militate the harmful effects of pesticides in cocoa in order to maintain market access.

“Nigeria as a responsible member of the international community is not only concerned about the negative health implications of toxins found in agriculture crops and food products like cocoa beans and cocoa products but has taking measures to address this important issue which now assumed international prominence. Kigbu stressed.

In his contribution, the Executive Director of international Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) Dr. Jean Marc Anga represented by Mr. Abubakar Yunusa said that the cocoa and chocolate industry was faced with many challenges as users of cocoa products are continuously coming up with more demands on issues such as quality of the beans, traceability and integrity of the beans along the supply, food safety and social ethics.

He said ICCO will continue to support Nigeria to implement major component of the project that will create awareness among cocoa farmers along the cocoa supply chain, enhance the capacity of stakeholders to apply Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Warehousing Practices (CAP) as well as strengthening regional collaboration to enhance institutional capacity in each SPS standards in cocoa.

Source: Economic Confidential