The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, will lead stakeholders in the agricultural sector to discuss sustainable ways to boost the cocoa industry value chain in the country at the 2022 National Cocoa Festival.
The festival which is organised by the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) in collaboration with Ondo State government CAN , FMARD , FMITI , Harvestfield Industry LTD, CRIN ,Ondo State Cocoa Council and the Ooni of Ife outreach, will deliberate on the theme, “Stakeholders’ Collaboration to Make Nigeria Cocoa Industry Sustainable”.
According to a statement by the CFAN national president, Comrade Adeola Adegoke, on Saturday, the festival is slated to hold in Dome, Akure, Ondo State, on October 13, 2022.
Comrade Adegoke said the minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Muhammad Mahmood Abubakar; minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Niyi Adebayo; managing director, Starlink Global and Ideal Ltd, Adeyemi Adeniji will also dialogue on repositioning the cocoa industry to boost revenue at the state and federal levels.
While the governor of Ondo State,Rotimi Akeredolu will be honored at the event with the Ooni of Ife receiving investiture at the festival.
The Managing Director, Harvestfield Industries Limited, Prince Martins Awofisayo, will give the keynote address.
The event will also feature the launching of the Yoruba version of the Cocoa GAP handbook and the launching of Cocoa Academy Centre.
The event will have commissioners for agriculture of all cocoa-producing states, all directors of produce of cocoa producing states, representatives of cocoa exporters and representatives of the cocoa stakeholders in diaspora.
Others include the national president Confederation of Commodities Association of Nigeria, the president, Cocoa Association of Nigeria and members, national president of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria and international cocoa sustainability stakeholders.
Organisations expected at the event include the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) NIRSAL and Bank of Agriculture.
