Nigeria’s cocoa will soon regain its glory in the country and beyond, the new leadership of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) under Mr. Adeola Adegoke has said.

Adegoke, who was elected CFAN National President at the weekend in Akure, the Ondo State capital, spoke after his election victory.

There were delegates from 13 cocoa producing states across the country.

Adegoke said CFAN is the umbrella body of all peasant farmers in the country and the voice of the voiceless, which would ensure good cocoa production.

He said: “In the good old days, Nigeria occupied the third position in quality cocoa production, but now in seventh position. But we are now set to bring back the rebirth of cocoa in Nigeria.”

The CFAN president added that there would be a data bank for information to determine the literate and illiterate cocoa farmers.

He said cocoa is second to crude oil as source of revenue generation in the country.

Adegoke listed various challenges cocoa farmers were facing, especially on road network and climate change.

The CFAN president stressed the need for the Federal Government to provide good roads and efficient irrigation system to assist cocoa farmers in producing high yields and quality produce.

He said: “We are pleading with the Federal Government to pay special attention to the Cocoa sector. It is an indisputable fact that after petroleum resources, it is cocoa.

“We want to ensure human development and generational shift on the level of cocoa production, where Nigeria will become the number one in production of quality and large commodity.

On fake agro-chemicals, Adegoke hinted that CFAN would collaborate with firms producing cocoa agro-chemicals and ensure that the association’s leadership involve in the distribution and sales of the chemicals to farmers.

The inauguration of the new CFAN’s executives will hold in July and the tenure is for four years.

Some of the Cocoa producing states are Ondo, Cross river, Edo, Osun, Oyo, Kwara, Kogi and Adamawa, among others.

The Nation