“I Want to Walk the Talk” — Shettima to Establish Cocoa Farm in Push to Revive Industry

Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed plans to establish a cocoa farm as part of efforts to revamp Nigeria’s cocoa industry and lead by example. Speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during a meeting with a delegation from the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), led by its president Chris Vincent, Shettima said the initiative aligns with the Tinubu administration’s goal of transitioning Nigeria from a raw cocoa producer to a hub for cocoa processing.

Shettima emphasized that his motivation is rooted in social impact rather than financial gain. “I want to walk the talk. It is not even about the profit criteria; no. It’s about the social welfare criteria – employing people,” he said. “Let me take you to my farm and you’ll be convinced that the new Nigerian leadership is actively involved and is itching to drive the process.”

He also reaffirmed the government’s readiness to partner with the WCF to expand investments in the sector and pledged to personally work with the governor of Taraba State to secure 10,000 hectares of land in Kurmi Local Government Area for WCF and its partners.