CFAN writes Tinubu, seeks update on stalled cocoa board bill
Amid growing anxiety in the cocoa sector, the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to provide updates on the Cocoa Board Bill, nearly three months after it was transmitted to the National Assembly.
The call was made in an open letter signed by the National President of CFAN, Comrade Adeola Adegoke, and made available to journalists at the weekend.
In the letter dated January 30, 2026, CFAN, in collaboration with the Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA), commended President Tinubu for his efforts at transforming Nigeria’s socio-economic landscape and his commitment to reforming the cocoa sector.
However, the association expressed deep concern over the lack of official communication regarding the Cocoa Board Bill transmitted by the Presidency to the National Assembly on November 13, 2025.
“We write this open letter with the utmost respect and a strong sense of national responsibility regarding the proposed Cocoa Board Bill, which was transmitted by your office to the National Assembly and read by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, at plenary,” the association stated.
CFAN recalled that over the past three years, cocoa sector stakeholders, under the leadership of Adegoke, had jointly demanded the reintroduction of a Nigerian Cocoa Board, not for buying and selling cocoa, but to regulate the sector, coordinate development efforts and drive sustainability growth.
The association noted that Nigeria occupies a strategic position among global cocoa-producing nations, with cocoa serving as a critical non-oil export commodity that supports rural livelihoods, generates foreign exchange, and contributes to national economic diversification.
“It was therefore received with optimism by industry stakeholders when the Federal Government yielded to the aspiration of cocoa farmers and other sector players for the establishment of a Nigerian Cocoa Board that would focus on sustainability, development, and regulation,” CFAN added.
The association recalled that although the bill was read at plenary by the Speaker on November 13, 2025, it was reportedly withdrawn the following day for corrections and amendments.
Since then, it said, there had been no official update on its status, progress, or whereabouts, creating uncertainty among stakeholders.
CFAN added that a similar development occurred in the Senate, where the National Cocoa Board Establishment Bill 2025 was transmitted on November 10, 2025, but was stepped down on November 12, 2025, following a letter from the Presidency.
The decision was announced by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, at plenary on November 18, 2025.
According to the association, no public update has followed since then, raising fears that the bill may have been abandoned, despite recent public representations suggesting that the reinstatement of the Cocoa Board is one of the achievements of the current administration.
“This prolonged silence has generated concern and uncertainty among stakeholders within the cocoa sector who had been encouraged by the Presidency’s commitment to driving a sustainable cocoa economy,” CFAN stated.
The association warned that the absence of a functional Cocoa Board continues to expose Nigeria’s cocoa industry to weak market coordination, limited institutional support, reduced access to investment and loans, and declining global competitiveness, particularly when compared with peer cocoa-producing countries operating under strong commodity boards.
It added that the proposed Cocoa Board is expected to coordinate the cocoa value chain, strengthen quality assurance and sustainability compliance, improve farmer welfare and income stability, support research and climate resilience, and attract investors and development partners.
CFAN therefore urged President Tinubu to clarify the current status of the Cocoa Board Bill, address the gap between public claims and legislative reality, and support the timely review and passage of the bill by the National Assembly, in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening institutional frameworks in the cocoa sector.
