Abuja, Nigeria
Kashim Shettima, Nigeria’s Vice-President, says he is putting plans in place to start a cocoa farm.
Shettima said the effort is to lead by example in reviving Nigeria’s cocoa industry.
According to the vice-president, the administration of President Bola Tinubu is fully committed to reviving the country’s cocoa industry, to transform the country from merely producing cocoa to processing.
Shettima made the remarks on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during a meeting with a delegation from the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), led by its president, Chris Vincent.
He explained that his interest in setting up a cocoa farm is not driven by profit, but by a commitment to advancing the social welfare of the country.
“I want to walk the talk. It is not even about the profit criteria; no. It’s about the social welfare criteria – employing people,” Shettima said.
“Look, let me take you to my farm and you’ll be convinced that the new Nigerian leadership is actively involved and is itching to drive the process.”
Shettima also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to collaborating with the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) to boost investment in the country’s cocoa sector.
He assured the delegation that he would personally reach out to the governor of Taraba State to facilitate the allocation of 10,000 hectares in Kurmi Local Government Area for use by the WCF and its partners.
Nigeria currently produces approximately 280,000 to 300,000 metric tons of cocoa annually, according to The Africa Report.
