The Federal Government has said it would boost its cocoa production to 500,000 metric tonnes by 2025 from the 340,000 recorded in 2022.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investments, Ambassador NURA RIMI, stated this at the Pre-National Trade Dialogue Series meeting in Abuja.

Ambassador RIMI, while highlighting the importance of cocoa in the nation’s economic development, said that Nigeria was the world’s sixth-largest cocoa producer.

According to him, strategic partnerships with international organisations such as the International Cocoa Organisation and the African Cocoa Fund, among others, have been pivotal in this progress.

He, however, called for continued collaboration to address the gaps in the global trade ecosystem and promote a renewed program for the country’s economic development.