By Osaretin Osadebamwen
The minister of Agriculture and Food Security Senator Abubakar Kyari , has said that the federal government is determined to ensure value addition to cocoa products that leaves the shore of Nigeria.
Abubakar Kyari said this in a signed statement that the misconstrued ban by the citizens that the federal government was not to deny the farmers and citizens of Cocoa production benefit but to ensure that Nigerians and Nigeria benefit from the export.
Value addition would benefit the country more, than, when it exports raw materials, there for the federal government has decided to build an industry out of the Cocoa production to boost the economy of the producers and the nation.
The statement reads: “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.
”Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Federal Government is committed to building a globally competitive cocoa industry by encouraging greater local processing while maintaining Nigeria’s position as a reliable exporter of cocoa.
“Raw cocoa exports will continue to play an important role as we expand 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.
“This approach is also consistent with our efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural exports through improved traceability and compliance with international standards, ensuring continued access to premium global markets. 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. Senator Abubakar Kyari, CON Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, assured Nigerians.
