Dangote Seeks Deal to Process 500,000 Tonnes of Ghana Cocoa Locally

Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has approached the Ghanaian government with a proposal to process 500,000 metric tonnes of cocoa locally, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has revealed.

Speaking on JoyNews' PM Express after presenting the 2027 Budget, Dr Forson said Dangote had engaged both him and President John Dramani Mahama and was ready to invest in Ghana's cocoa-processing sector.

The proposal aligns with the government's plan to process 50% of Ghana's cocoa locally by 2028 and 100% by 2030, ending the export of raw cocoa beans.

According to the minister, discussions are ongoing and no agreement has yet been reached.

Dr Forson said Ghana wants investors to add value locally by producing cocoa products such as butter, powder, chocolate and cosmetics, rather than exporting raw beans.

While the proposed investment could represent a significant share of Ghana's cocoa output, key details, including the location, cost, timeline and exact scale of the project, have not yet been disclosed.