Ghana is set to join Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Cameroon in establishing a Cocoa Value Addition Alliance aimed at improving local processing and giving major cocoa-producing countries a stronger voice in global trade.
The four countries are expected to sign the Abuja Declaration at the Cocoa Value Addition Summit 2026 in Abuja on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, creating a framework to coordinate policies, harmonise standards and engage international buyers collectively.
The development was reported by Nigeria’s Punch newspaper, citing a statement from Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
The alliance comes as African cocoa producers seek to increase their share of the value generated from a commodity they dominate in production but have historically exported largely as raw beans.
Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Cameroon together produce about two-thirds of the world’s cocoa, giving the group significant influence in discussions around pricing, sustainability requirements and market access.
The proposed agreement will focus on expanding cocoa processing and manufacturing capacity within member countries, while promoting investment across the value chain.
For Ghana, the move aligns with efforts to deepen value addition in the cocoa sector. The country, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer after Côte d’Ivoire, remains a major supplier of premium cocoa beans, but a large portion of global chocolate manufacturing and branding takes place outside Africa.
The alliance is also expected to support a coordinated approach to the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation, which requires cocoa exporters to provide traceability information and demonstrate that production is not linked to forest destruction.
Producing countries have argued that compliance costs should not place additional pressure on smallholder farmers, who account for much of Africa’s cocoa output.
The summit, themed “From Bean to Brand,” will bring together industry stakeholders to discuss ways to expand processing, attract investment and improve returns from cocoa production.
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is expected to deliver a message during the summit, according to reports on the planned agreement.
The success of the alliance will depend on whether member countries can translate the agreement into investments, stronger processing capacity and improved incomes for cocoa farmers.
