In a bid to develop Nigeria’s cocoa industry and fully exploit the potential of the entire value chain to achieve a robust and sustainable cocoa economy, the Eti-Oni Development Group is set to host the 3rd edition of the ‘Eko Chocolate Show’ in Lagos.
The show schedule to hold on the 7th – 11th of April 2022 will help drive awareness in developing the country’s cocoa culture while building the bridges between production and consumption to change Nigeria’s cocoa narrative from an extractive position to an integrated one with extensive value-add for shared purposes.
“The main objective of Eko Chocolate Show is to become the biggest show dedicated to chocolate and confectionery in Africa,” Dammie Osoba, director of Eko Chocolate Show said.
“We would continue to create the awareness to develop the cocoa culture that will build bridges between production and consumption to appreciate the value in the Nigerian cocoa narrative and change it from an extractive to an integrated one with extensive value-add for shared value purposes.”
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The Eko Chocolate Show-themed ‘Cocoa, Chocolate and the Climate’ will kick start with a dinner and award night to recognize excellence across the cocoa value chain.
The award will have a nomination process in 15 different categories including a Life Time Personal Contribution to Cocoa Development Award as well as the Cocoa Renaissance in Nigeria Award.
Olufolake Abdulrazaq, the first lady of Kwara State will be the special guest of honour and Nwakaego Boyo, founder and CEO of Temple Productions will be the special guest speaker. The evening will be chaired by Erelu Abiola Dosumu, Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos.
On Friday 8th of April 2022 the Africa cocoa and chocolate forum themed: Beyond cocoa production towards wealth creation and achieving sustainability within the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA will take place.
The special guest of honour at the forum will be Abubakar Bello, the MD/CEO of Nigeria Export and Import Bank, NEXIM with Ezra Yakusak, the executive director and CEO of Nigeria Export Promotion Council – NEPC as chairman while Francis Anatogu, the executive secretary of the National Action Committee of the African Continental Free Trade Area will deliver the Keynote Address and Prince Abimbola Olashore, chairman Lead Advisory Partner will be the moderator.
Other speakers will include representatives of Central Bank of Nigeria, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, agric experts, finance consultants, agripreneurs, climate action advocates, chocolate manufacturers, and equipment providers from different parts of the world.
Several issues across the cocoa value chain will be discussed and solutions will be proffer towards achieving the objective of the forum. The discussions will be centred on four critical areas: finance, technology, climate, and global trends.
“There will be over 30 exhibitors from different parts of the world and we are expecting about 3,000 visitors in attendance,” said Queen Angelique-Monet of Eti-Oni, president, Eti-Oni Development Group.
“It will also have in attendance associated industries like the Buhler Group, A German Company that is a leading manufacturer of cocoa processing and chocolate making equipment, and Cocoa Town of USA,” she said. There will be a workshop and a chocolate festival.
