Nigeria's cocoa production has seen significant fluctuations between 1990 and 2022. While there have been periods of growth, such as the increase from 244k tonnes in 1990 to 485k tonnes in 2006, there have also been notable declines. Production hit a low of 203k tonnes in 1995 and faced other dips. Here is the quantity of cocoa produced in Nigeria since 1990.
Cocoa beans are a vital commodity for many countries, driving their economies and supporting livelihoods. Over the years, cocoa production has seen significant fluctuations across different countries.
The world's cocoa-producing countries produced 104.2 million tonnes of cocoa beans between 2000 and 2022, enough to fill about 2.084 billion 50kg bags. Côte d'Ivoire maintains its dominance, accounting for 35.3% of global production in the 23 years under review, with Ghana (16.5%), Indonesia (15.4%), and Nigeria (7.7%) completing the top four.
These are the top ten countries in the period.
In 2020, 5.2 million metric tons of cocoa were produced globally, with four African countries — Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon — accounting for 68% of the produce.
1990-2000: In this decade, China and India accounted for over 50% of the world's total output, with other dominant rice producers being Indonesia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, with production figures falling between 20 and 30 million metric tons.
2001-2010: China and India remained the two top producers, with China producing 140 million metric tons annually and India 100 million metric tons annually.
2011-2020: China and India continue to lead at about 150 million and 105 million metric tons, respectively.
2021-2024: China and India continued to lead. China reached 144.62 million metric tons in 2023/2024, and India accounted for 137.83 million metric tons.
In 2022, the US exported $631 million worth of agricultural produce to Nigeria, with wheat the biggest export. It accounted for 76% of the exports followed by industrial ethanol (9.3%).
Nigeria produced 1.4 million tons of palm oil in 2022, 2% of the global production in the 2022/2023 market year, making the country the fifth largest producer of the commodity. Indonesia dominated global production with 59%, followed by Malaysia and Thailand.
