The Federal Government has officially launched the 1 Million Improved Hybrid Cocoa Seedlings Roll-Out Programme to revamp Nigeria’s cocoa ecosystem, boost rural incomes, and significantly increase foreign exchange export earnings.
Flagged off on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Ibadan, Oyo State, the initiative stands as a cornerstone project under the National Cocoa Development Plan and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The expansion directly targets long-standing domestic production bottlenecks, including ageing plantations, limited access to modern planting materials, underfunded extension services, and weak localised value addition.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, stated that the exercise marks the beginning of an aggressive national campaign to restore Nigeria’s historical prominence in the global cocoa market.
He noted that the newly distributed hybrid seedlings developed by CRIN mature earlier, offer high bean yields, and possess built-in disease resistance and climate adaptation traits suited to modern commercial farming.
The federal strategy implements rigid international compliance frameworks to safeguard premium export access.
The strict requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the programme integrates comprehensive farm mapping and digital traceability systems.
Senator Kyari revealed that the National Cocoa Management Committee and the National Task Force on EUDR are working with state governments to ensure all participating lands are verified, allowing Nigerian farmers to command premium pricing in international commodity markets while shifting from raw bean shipping to high-value, locally processed cocoa products.
The deployment is backed by a newly approved Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Framework.
Detailing the funding and operational structures, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, emphasised that the long-term success of the cocoa economy relies heavily on deep private-sector investment, industrial processing technology, and smallholder adherence to modern agronomic practices.
Supported by local traditional institutions, including the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rasheed Ladoja, who was represented by Professor Soji Adejumon, the event concluded with the direct distribution of the elite hybrid assets to farmer cooperatives, with beneficiary representative Mr Alaba Adegoke pledging that smallholders will maximise the inputs to eliminate the country’s animal-protein and crop deficits.
Source: Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation
