A New Era for Africa’s Chocolate Industry
The Eko Chocolate Show has taken a significant step forward by forming a strategic partnership with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). This collaboration aims to foster stronger ties between Africa’s cocoa-producing nations and global chocolate manufacturers, addressing the imbalance between the continent’s dominance in cocoa production and its limited role in value-added chocolate manufacturing.
During the pre-event press briefing for the 2025 edition of the Eko Chocolate Show, held in Lagos, Angelique-Monet Gureje-Thompson, the Yeyeluwa Olori of Eti-Oni, Osun State, announced the partnership. As the founder of International Cocoa Diplomacy, she emphasized the importance of this initiative in bridging the gap between Africa’s cocoa production and its potential in the chocolate industry.
Gureje-Thompson highlighted that the 2025 edition of the Eko Chocolate Show, themed “Cocoa, Culture, Community, and Creativity,” will be held in collaboration with the Lagos International Trade Fair, West Africa’s largest trade exhibition. She described the event as a platform where cultural celebration, economic development, and international commerce intersect.
Economic Potential and Global Market Trends
According to Gureje-Thompson, West Africa produces 70% of the world’s cocoa, with Nigeria being the fourth-largest producer. However, less than two percent of Africa’s cocoa is processed into finished products. She pointed out that this gap represents a massive value addition potential worth billions in economic impact.
The global chocolate market is currently valued at $140.12 billion and is projected to reach $172.89 billion by 2030, with the premium chocolate segment growing at an annual rate of 7.2%. Gureje-Thompson noted that this presents enormous opportunities for Africa to move up the value chain through innovation, ethical sourcing, and branding.
She praised the LCCI for hosting the show as part of the Lagos International Trade Fair, calling the partnership a model for how collaboration can drive industrial transformation and cross-learning between agriculture, trade, and creative industries.
Event Highlights and Cultural Celebrations
The seven-day event, scheduled from 8 to 14 November 2025 in Lagos, will feature a variety of activities. These include a world-class chocolate exhibition, stakeholder forums, the Royal Cocoa International Film Festival, the Royal Cocoa International Arts Exhibition, and the Royal Cocoa Symphony Orchestra Concert.
The exhibition and film festival will take place at the Tafawa Balewa Square Marquee between 8 and 9 November, while the art exhibition will open at the National Museum, Onikan, from 10 to 14 November. The grand finale, the Royal Cocoa Symphony Orchestra Concert, will be held at The Colonades, Ikoyi, on 14 November.
Innovation and Cultural Fusion
The Royal Cocoa International Film Festival will bring together participants from nine countries, focusing on the theme “Creatives, Cocoa, AI & Digital Futures, From Kingdom to Cannes.” The festival aims to connect cocoa heritage with technology, sustainability, and artistic innovation.
The Royal Cocoa International Arts Exhibition, themed ‘The Royal Origins and Traditions of Cocoa, From Battlefields to Bean: The Eti-Oni Cocoa Renaissance,’ will highlight cocoa’s heritage as “the seed of a new economy.”
The show’s grand finale,The Ventriloquist Queen: A True African Stage Play, will feature the Lagos Chorale, the Oloni Orchestra, and traditional African dance performances. The production, written and produced by Queen Gureje-Thompson, will combine live ventriloquism, orchestral music, and digital theatre in what she described as “a fusion of heritage, soul, and futuristic performance.”
Dignitaries and Partnerships
Among the confirmed dignitaries for the event are the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Rashidi Ladoja, as the Royal Guest of Honour; the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, as the Special Guest of Honour; and the Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, as the Chief Host.
Gureje-Thompson also acknowledged the support of several public and private partners, including the Federal Ministries of Finance, Agriculture and Food Security, Industry, Trade and Investment; the Osun State Government; NEXIM Bank; the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria; the Nigerian Export Promotion Council; the Raw Materials Research and Development Council; FTN Cocoa Processors; and the Bühler Group Nigeria.
A Call to Action
Gureje-Thompson stated that the Eko Chocolate Show 2025 represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to be founding partners in Africa’s chocolate industry transformation, with brand association opportunities for cultural excellence and international diplomacy.
She urged stakeholders across the cocoa and chocolate value chain to seize the opportunity to “unlock the true potential of cocoa-producing regions, especially Nigeria, which must diversify its economy and develop the non-oil sector aggressively.”
She added, “We look forward to welcoming traditional rulers, government officials, members of foreign missions, and people from around the world to Lagos as we celebrate cocoa, creativity, and culture in a way that redefines Africa’s place in the global chocolate economy.”