The Nigerian Export-Import Bank has unveiled an online portal tagged ‘cocoaconnectafrica.com,’ to create market linkage among farmers, aggregators, and buyers in the cocoa value chain in Africa.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, NEXIM Bank, Mr Abubakar Bello, made this announcement on the sideline of one-day International Cocoa and Chocolate Forum 2024, on Thursday in Lagos.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperative, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, inaugurated the portal at the event.
The conference was organised by the International Cocoa Diplomacy in partnership with NEXIM Bank.
Bello said the portal would enable all stakeholders within the cocoa value chain to interact freely irrespective of the location, region or country, once registered on the portal.
He said the portal could be accessed on any device anywhere in the world.
Bello added that the portal would empower everybody in the value chain and get people closer to what they are looking for in cocoa ecosystem.
He said the portal would not only be beneficial in the main stream value chain.
He added that the portal would become available to all stakeholders immediately.
“Our plan is to double, triple, quadruple cocoa production in Nigeria. This will be the new thinking for us to get to that renewed hope.
“The whole essence of this portal is to bring market place as well as a resource centre in one place. We wanted to consolidate everything into one portal.
“When a buyer or a processor is looking for certain type of product, a certain variety of cocoa, from any part of the country or outside the country, the buyer know exactly where to go and how to reach that aggregator or farmer directly.
“It will also cut out middlemen since the main stakeholders are able to talk to each other directly on the same portal.
“Everybody involved in the cocoa sector can register and have a page on the portal to showcase their business and services.
“Buyers can reach out to farmers directly because their information will be displayed on it, also goggle map will identify the location of the farm foe traceability,” he said.