The Ogun State government in collaboration with the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) on Friday trained 100 cocoa farmers and traders in the state toward boosting non-oil exports in the country.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Oluola Aikulola, disclosed this in Abeokuta during the technical session on Value Chain Export Development (VCED) for cocoa stakeholders.

Mr Aikulola said that the training would also help to increase the volume of processed cocoa being exported from Nigeria to other countries.

He said, “The shift from agriculture to oil has negatively affected the exportation of cocoa in the country. There is the need to enlighten stakeholders, to revive and surpass past achievements through cocoa exports in the 60s.”

Mr Aikulola, at the training which has a theme; “Repositioning Nigeria’s Cocoa Beans for Increased Global Competitiveness”, lauded the NEPC for its efforts at boosting non-oil exports.

He called on the participants to utilise the knowledge gained to improve their businesses, saying that the state government had been creating a conducive business environment for entrepreneurs and investors to thrive.

“It is pertinent to note that the current administration has made concerted efforts towards creating relevant policies, initiatives, and programmes for a more robust and enabling environment for businesses to flourish.

“We are  glad that the NEPC is also keying into similar initiatives by organising diverse training programmes and workshops at improving non-oil export in the State”, Mr Aikulola said.

Also, the South West Zonal Coordinator, NEPC, Samuel Oyeyipo, said the training was part of the council’s deliberate efforts at helping stakeholders involved in the cocoa value chain to scale up the production, processing, and marketing.

Mr Oyeyipo said Ghana exports 800,000 metric tonnes annually, Ivory Coast two million metric tonnes, while Nigeria produces only 250,000 metric tonnes per annum despite its huge arable land mass and population.

The Chairman, Cocoa Association of Nigeria, Ogun State chapter, Olusesan Sowunmi, lauded the NEPC for the training.

Mr Sowunmi said that the training would impart on farmers and other stakeholders on planting, harvesting, processing, and marketing of their products both locally and internationally.

Speaking on behalf of participants, Iyabo Gbolagbade and Shittu Idris, who commended the state government and NEPC for the training, said that the capacity building would boost their businesses.

(NAN)