The US government has expressed its continued commitment to supporting and developing Nigeria and other African countries’ economy and trade.
It also charged Nigeria to develop its agricultural potentials particularly cocoa production to boost the economy and stressed the need for the country to take advantage of the American law on the African Growth and Opportunities Act.
This came as the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) called for the semi-deregulation of the Cocoa economy and establishment of the Cocoa Commission.
A member, Advisory Council to the American President, Joe Biden, Mr Franklin Olakunle Amoo spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital at the inauguration of the CFAN 12-member 2nd National Working Committee.
Delivering a keynote address on the ease of doing business in Africa, during the event with the theme: “Renewed Hope: Rejuvenating Nigeria’s Cocoa Culture”, Amoo said, “The US government is very interested in seeing more private sector environment from US companies to engage with the Nigeria economy in particular.
“Also many of its agencies such as USAID, development financing corporations are also trying to provide investment funds both to Nigerian and US companies. They would like to see US and Nigeria trade volume grow.
“But I want Nigeria to be very aware of the African Growth and Opportunities Act , which is an American law which allows certain products to be exported from Africa into the US, duty free. We need to take much more of them to the business of Nigerians.’’
Speaking on why Cocoa culture must be rejuvenated to bring hope to the farmer, the CFAN president, Comrade Adeola Adegoke said, “We believe that with the abolition of the Cocoa board in 1986 and total deregulation of the Cocoa economy in Nigeria , Cocoa farmers in the country have been confronting a lot of challenges due to the fact that there is no mechanism to engender growth to promote and develop or secure the production of Cocoa in Nigeria.’’
