COCOA FARMERS ALLIANCE ASSOCIATION OF AFRICA LAUNCHED IN NIGERIA

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COCOA FARMERS ALLIANCE ASSOCIATION OF AFRICA LAUNCHED IN NIGERIA

…As stakeholders commend Global Coordinator Adeola Adegoke and other stakeholders for making the dream a reality

The Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa(COFAAA) has been launched in Nigeria with a great enthusiasm that the development will facilitate the much needed development and value addition in the Cocoa industry in the country and Africa as a whole.

The National President of CFAN and President as well as Global Coordinator of COFAAA, Comrade Adeola Adegoke in his opening address at the event held in Ibadan the Oyo State capital appreciated the dignitaries especially the stakeholders that graced the launching and emphasized the enormous support received from the cocoa farmers in Nigeria that led to his new leadership role at the African level.

Adegoke gave the historical background of how his leadership has repositioned Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria which has become the most organized with the largest membership not only in Nigeria but, in Africa.

He emphasized that under his leadership, the hitherto voiceless cocoa farmers group has now become the biggest voice in Nigeria.

The COFAAA global coordinator said the association under his leadership has initiated partnership and collaborations with other cocoa stakeholders, facilitated loans to cocoa farmers, enhance capacity building, participate in policy making, cooperatives development at the farm gate level, encouraging sustainable practices and ecosystem protection.

In his words, “the Association has also done a lot of work in synergy with other partners to establishing a regulatory institution for the cocoa industry in Nigeria known as National Cocoa Management Committee”.

He went further to attribute his emergence to a divine providence that allowed other cocoa origins countries in Africa to choose him to lead COFAAA at this auspicious time.

“No doubt, the prosperity of cocoa farmers in Nigeria and the leadership success God has used me to build over the years must have been a singular factor to enjoy this privilege among contemporaries in Africa, bearing in mind that Nigeria does not surpass the production of Ivory Coast and Ghana as at today but, other factors that we possessed that can revolutionize the Africa cocoa industry that is beyond production”.

Adegoke said he is determined to use his leadership in collaboration with other African cocoa stakeholders to change the narrative by pushing African cocoa farmers into unimaginable prosperity.

“At COFAAA level, Nigeria cocoa farmers have a lot to benefit in the areas of good governance. The industry through collaborations with other global cocoa institutions. This will be deliberate especially to empower African cocoa farmers through various initiatives and innovations that will bring together all African cocoa farmers together regardless of our geographical locations but, will be united by cocoa”.

He mentioned that Nigeria is currently producing 300-450kg per hectare which is not really profitable, noting that Africa today produces 70 percent of the World Cocoa Production that is about 4.7million metric tonnes.

Furthermore, he said that the association will create a big voice for the cocoa farmers regardless of African countries they belong to and both common and individual issues will be dissected and tailor-made solutions provided to solve the common and peculiar challenges.

He called upon African countries and particularly, cocoa farmers to unite and work towards the prosperity of African cocoa economy, particularly cocoa farmers prosperity as the golden hen that lays the golden egg for the sustainability of the cocoa industry in Africa.

In her message, the Zonal Director of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mrs. Abimbola Akeredolu said establishment of Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa(COFAAA) in Nigeria would strengthen the sector by providing farmers with the required support, resources and platform they need to thrive.

She commended the efforts of the stakeholders involved in making the dream a reality, noting that Cocoa Farmers are the backbone of the nation’s economy.

The keynote address was delivered by The National President of Cocoa Processors Association of Nigeria (COPAN), Otunba Felix Oladunjoye who also congratulated Comrade Adeola Adegoke on his new position and restated COPAN’s support for the Association in Nigeria.

He gave an analysis of their encounters with NAFDAC over their excessive charges on export of cocoa derivatives that can affect negatively the growth of the local cocoa processing capacity in the country.

Oladunjoye however appreciated NAFDAC for cooperating with COPAN outcry by removing the obnoxious regulatory charges and called for collaborations amongst cocoa stakeholders in order to move the cocoa sector forward in Nigeria.

The South West Regional Director, Mrs Akeredolu Olayinka represented the FMAFS (seeing speech attached).

The Chief of Party USDA-LWR Trace Project in Nigeria, Mr Nene Akwerty talked about the success of their projects and the states that are currently benefitting.

He appreciated CFAN for its cooperation and support with the Trace Project team for achieving many successes while calling for collaboration with CFAN at the second National Cocoa Festival in Abuja.

Akwerty went further to mention specific collaboration in Cross River, Abia and Akwa-Ibom and the one recently done in Ibadan, Oyo State that showed that Oyo State enjoyed the collaboration with Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) despite Oyo State despite not being one of the six mandatory states of the project in Nigeria.

In the Goodwill message of the Representative of Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN)President, Mr. Abolarinwa who was ably represented by Alhaji Wasiu Adebayo, Chairman, CAN, Oyo State, he restated the support of CAN for the development of the welfare of cocoa farmers through COFAAA.

He therefore called for collaborations between the value chain actors of cocoa in order for Nigeria to become a leading cocoa producing nation in Africa.

In the words of Chief Dasaolu, the Southwest Farmers’ leader, he acknowledged the giant strides of Comrade Adeola Adegoke which he said must must have contributed to the greater role at the regional level.

He expressed confidence in Adeola Adegoke’s capacity to deliver within any roles assigned and prayed for his success and enjoined all cocoa farmers to rally round him to achieve the set goals at the African level.

Also, the Deputy President of AFAN, Engr. John Olateru, in his Goodwill message congratulated Comrade Adeola Adegoke for his new leadership role at the Continental level and emphasized the need for farmers in Nigeria to be united to enjoy government’s benefits.

The Chairman, House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture in Oyo State, Hon. Olagunju said various policies have been made towards stopping open grazing of animals in Oyo State to protect the agricultural resources of the state and that it’s now left for the law enforcement agencies to enforce the laws.

Olagunju appreciated the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde for his kind gesture to the farmers for creating sustainable environment for the farmers in order to develop the state agriculturally.

Mr Samson Gbadamosi, the Representative of Director of Cooperative, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Innovation, talked about the ultimate goal of COFAAA which is to see to the advancement of cocoa farmers in Nigeria and Africa at large.

The launching of COFAAA through individual registration as a member of COFAAA in Nigeria was led by Hon. Olagunju,The Chairman, House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture in Oyo State with other dignitaries and representatives of cocoa farmers present at the event.

The event also hosted cocoa farmers representatives from the cocoa producing states in Nigeria including Ondo, Oyo, Edo, Ekiti, Cross River, Ogun, Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Kwara, Osun and Benue States.