Cameroon: The government bans the export of cocoa beans to Nigeria for security reasons
The export of cocoa beans from Cameroon to Nigeria has been temporarily banned until further notice. This decision was made by Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, the Minister of Trade, following consultations with stakeholders in the sector. The ban is a response to massive and fraudulent exports, primarily due to porous borders.
According to the Cameroonian Minister of Trade, this decision is necessary because buyers based in Nigeria have been purchasing a significant portion of Cameroon’s cocoa production outside of the established regulations, causing «serious consequences for the national economy».
«The exports must comply with the law. I don’t think we are dealing with illegal imports. We need to immediately strengthen enforcement measures on the field», stated the government official.
It is important to note that Cameroon has regulations governing the conditions for cocoa bean trade, such as Decree No. 2005/1212 PM of April 27, 2005, which regulates the packaging and commercialization of cocoa beans.
According to these regulations, cocoa exports are reserved for operators who have complied with the declaration of existence required by the current legislation and hold a professional card issued by the interprofessional body.
Cocoa exporters must submit export statistics and cocoa bean stocks from the previous week to the interprofessional body every Tuesday. The corresponding declaration must specify the quantities and qualities of cocoa purchased, deliveries to local processing plants, and available stocks.
Local buyers claim that shipments to neighboring Nigeria circumvent these measures, resulting in unfair competition in the sector and draining a significant portion of the local production.
Kate Kanyi Tometi Fotso, CEO of Telcar Cocoa, expressed alarm, stating, «What happened with coffee could happen with cocoa if we don’t react. It would be catastrophic».
It is worth noting that Nigeria is one of Cameroon’s key trading partners in Africa. In 2021, Cameroon exported 32.5 billion FCFA worth of products to Nigeria, according to INS statistics, while importing goods worth approximately 19 billion FCFA.
Eric Palanga
