The Chief Executive Officer of the Cocoa Marketing Company of Ghana (CMC), Dr Wisdom Kofi Dogbey, has issued a firm and time-sensitive call for Africa to overhaul the structure of its cocoa industry by placing greater emphasis on integrated agro-industrial value addition. He cautioned that Africa’s long-standing dependence on exporting raw cocoa continues to deprive the continent of billions of dollars in revenue, employment opportunities, and broader economic transformation.
Dr Dogbey made these remarks while delivering a keynote address at the 2026 Africa Trade Summit, held under the theme “Africa Agribusiness Industry Insights.” His presentation centred on the cocoa sector, which he described as both the foundation of Ghana’s economy and a significantly underexploited driver of industrial development across the African continent.
“Cocoa is not just a crop. Cocoa is Ghana, and Ghana is cocoa,” he told an audience comprising policymakers, investors, agribusiness stakeholders, and development partners. “Yet for decades, Africa has exported the bulk of its cocoa in raw form, while others capture the real value through processing, branding, and finished products.”
