Nigeria’s cocoa industry gathered at the negotiating table, farmers, exporters, policymakers, and international partners, all united by one pressing concern: Europe’s ticking clock.

The European Union, which buys over 60 percent of Nigeria’s cocoa, has set a hard deadline of December 31, 2025, for compliance with its Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The rule requires proof that cocoa beans are sourced from land that has not been recently deforested, with full traceability from farm to factory.

The stakes are high. Failure to comply could see Nigerian cocoa shut out of European markets, a blow to an industry that earned ₦1.2 trillion in the last quarter of 2024, a 606 percent leap compared to the year before.

Also Read: Can the new cocoa board save Nigeria’s Chocolate Industry?

High stakes, high pressure

For Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, this is not just a compliance matter. She calls it a “pivotal moment”, one that could either elevate Nigeria’s cocoa brand or push it to the margins of global trade.

This is both a formidable challenge and a transformative opportunity,” she told delegates at the Nigeria-EU Cocoa Roundtable in Abuja. “It’s about resilience, sustainability, and keeping Nigeria’s place in the global cocoa chain. Compliance isn’t optional, it’s an economic, environmental, and developmental imperative,” she says.

She stressed that the regulation also aligns with Nigeria’s own climate commitments under the “Nigeria first” principle, prioritising sustainable land use before even considering global obligations.

From the Presidential Villa, Dr. Kingsley Uzoma, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness, framed cocoa as a central pillar of Nigeria’s non-oil export strategy. It’s no longer just a commodity. Cocoa is a strategic lever in our economic transformation; it makes up nearly 29 percent of agricultural exports and 5.6 percent of all non-oil exports.

Despite rising demand and international opportunities, the sector faces financing bottlenecks. Ageing plantations, limited access to credit, and gaps in processing capacity threaten the industry’s readiness for EUDR compliance.

The EUDR rules are clear but demanding: deforestation-free supply chains, full traceability, and legal verification of land use. For Nigeria’s 300,000 smallholder farmers, who produce 80 percent of the nation’s cocoa, these requirements mean a complete overhaul of documentation, mapping, and farming methods, all within the next 16 months.

The National Taskforce on EUDR Compliance estimates that exporters are already 60 percent compliant, but land-use legality, managed at the state level, remains the sticking point.

Taskforce Chairman Ajayi Olutobaba warned: To remain competitive, we must act swiftly. Sustainability is no longer optional; it’s the future of trade.

Government officials and private sector leaders are now exploring innovative financing, including a dedicated cocoa-sector credit line with flexible repayment terms, and encouraging local processing to retain more value within Nigeria. Revitalising plantations could boost yields by up to 50 percent while reducing forest pressure, and carbon credit schemes are being eyed as a fresh funding source for green projects.

With December 2025 fast approaching, the message from Abuja is clear: EUDR compliance is not just about saving trade ties, it is about securing a sustainable future for cocoa farming in Nigeria. As Uzoma put it: Let’s turn this challenge into a brand statement, where Nigerian cocoa stands for sustainability, innovation, and shared prosperity.

For the farmers in Ondo, Cross River, and Edo, it is more than a policy shift. It is the difference between being part of the next era of global trade or watching it from the sidelines.

Meiza Nigeria