The Federal Government has clarified that it has no plans to ban the export of raw cocoa beans, reaffirming its commitment to promoting value addition while maintaining Nigeria’s position as a reliable exporter of cocoa.

In a statement, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said reports suggesting that the government intended to prohibit raw cocoa exports do not reflect its policy direction.

According to the Minister, the Tinubu administration’s objective under the Renewed Hope Agenda is to build a globally competitive cocoa industry by encouraging increased local processing without disrupting legitimate exports.

He explained that raw cocoa exports will continue to play an important role as the government works to expand domestic processing capacity, attract investment, increase farmers’ incomes, create jobs and improve earnings from Nigeria’s cocoa production.

The Minister added that the policy aligns with the Federal Government’s broader efforts to strengthen agricultural exports through improved traceability and compliance with international standards, ensuring continued access to premium global markets.

Senator Kyari stressed that the government’s focus remains on creating an enabling environment for value addition rather than imposing export restrictions, with the goal of enabling Nigeria to capture greater value from its cocoa industry while remaining competitive globally.