Farmers raise alarm over stalled Cocoa Board Bill

Cocoa farmers and stakeholders are raising concerns about the status of the proposed Nigerian Cocoa Board Bill, following months of silence since its transmission and subsequent withdrawal from the National Assembly.

In an open letter, the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) and the Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA) called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to clarify the whereabouts and progress of the Bill, which was submitted to the legislature in November 2025.

The Bill, transmitted to the House of Representatives on November 13, 2025, was read in plenary but was withdrawn the following day at the Presidency’s request for corrections and amendments.

A similar process occurred at the Senate, where the Bill was first sent on November 10, stepped down on November 12, before being finally acknowledged on November 18, 2025.

However, since then, Adeola Adegoke, president of CFAN, says there has been no official communication on whether the Bill is undergoing revision, has been withdrawn entirely, or remains under consideration. “There has been a joint and sustained demand for the reintroduction of a Nigerian Cocoa Board that will not be involved in the buying and selling of cocoa, but one established to regulate the sector, coordinate development efforts, and drive Nigeria’s cocoa sustainability growth,” Adegoke wrote in the open letter.

The prolonged uncertainty, he notes, is unsettling for farmers, cooperatives, processors, exporters, investors, and development partners who rely on policy clarity to make production and investment decisions.

Nigeria is one of the world’s major cocoa-producing countries, with cocoa serving as a key non-oil export that supports rural livelihoods, generates foreign exchange, and contributes to economic diversification.

Industry stakeholders have long advocated for the reintroduction of a Nigerian Cocoa Board, one that would focus on regulation, coordination, sustainability, and sector development rather than buying and selling cocoa.

Adegoke noted that while public representations have suggested the Cocoa Board be reinstated under the current administration, no enabling law has been passed, and no functional board is in place. This, the association argues, has created a disconnect between public messaging and legislative reality.

The absence of a functional Cocoa Board, according to the farmers’ groups, continues to expose the sector to weak market coordination, limited institutional support, reduced access to finance, and declining competitiveness, particularly at a time when global cocoa prices are under pressure.

The proposed board is expected to coordinate the cocoa value chain, strengthen quality assurance and traceability, improve farmer welfare, support research and climate resilience, and enhance Nigeria’s appeal to investors and development partners.

The associations urged the presidency to provide clarity on the bill’s status, reconcile public claims with legislative progress, and support the timely advancement of the legislation through the National Assembly, stressing that institutional reform is critical to unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s cocoa industry.