Cocoa-crazy is more than just a word; it’s a way of life. Many young people have entered the cocoa business as a result of the sudden increase in the price of cocoa seeds following the removal of fuel subsidies.
From Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti, and Osun, there has been an inflow of young people lured by gains in cocoa business in rural areas. In Osun, many cocoa farms have been purchased and leased.
This report depicts not only how cocoa farmers in Osun State make a livelihood, but also how the price increase has enticed many young people to enter the cocoa business.
It also reveals that many young people have returned to rural settlements to reclaim farmlands they had previously abandoned as inheritance, and have begun farming, particularly in the cocoa business.
It also explains how the surge in the cocoa business has resulted in an increase in crime, forcing the police and courts to handle more cocoa-related cases.
This reporter visited four rural settlements in Osun State namely; Bolorunduro Oni-Oke in Ipetu-Ijesa, Iwara, Iyinta, and Osu. These towns are rural communities, grossly lacking in basic amenities. As at the time of visitation, the only source of power supply in Bolorunduro Oni-Oke was solar. It was gathered that the town has suffered electricity blackouts for more than ten years.
Residents who have no solar lamps or radios rely on generators to power their electronics. In Iwara, Iyinta and Osu, the story was not different. These communities were battling epileptic power supply, making life more difficult for residents. They were lacking good roads. Only few graded roads appear trekkable but were dusty as at time of visitation. I interacted with some farmers, mostly young people, who had moved to these villages to start or monitor their cocoa businesses as a case study for this report.
When I visited Iwara, a rural community in Atakunmosa West, I noticed a woman in her early fifties seated on a wooden stool in front of a house. She was dipping her hands into a sack bag to retrieve cocoa seeds to spread in the sun. The obviously happy woman wearing Iro and Buba made of Ankara fabrics, indicating that she appreciated what she was doing.
Good afternoon, Mummy. Trust you’re good, Ma? I politely asked the woman in Yoruba. We thank God, and we hope you are doing well too, my dear, she responded in Ijesha dialect as she continued to spread cocoa seeds. I unwillingly approached her and offered to help her scatter cocoa seeds, which she accepted.
This reporter joked that cocoa dealers are this season’s dangotes. Mrs. Aina assured that his claim is correct because a kilo of cocoa seeds now costs N13,500. Aina revealed that the price of a kilo moved from N3500 to N15,000, and is presently N13,500. Mrs. Aina believes Tinubu’s tenure as President has been beneficial to farmers, particularly those involved in cocoa, cassava and maize production.
Aina disclosed that she works as a laborer in Iwara. She claims that she receives a weekly payment from her boss, Tijani, as well as farm produce as profit during the harvest. “I send money every week to my first son who is in charge of taking care of his siblings whenever I’m here working on the farm,” she continued.
According to Aina, there are only public schools and private classes with low standards here, which is the reason why her children remain in the urban settlement. “I did not read, and I cannot risk my children not being educated either,” she added.
May I meet your boss, Mr. Tijani? I inquired. She grinned and took me to a local shed built with trees, where two men were conversing. My boss is wearing an Ankara blouse, Jean trousers, and a boot, and she pointed at a man with a pale complexion. I approached the local shed and greeted the two young lads conversing there. They greeted me pleasantly and offered me a seat on a plastic chair. I thanked them heartily and admired their accommodating spirit.
Are you, Mr. Tijani? I asked the very light-skinned man, who should be in his late twenties, and he humorously responded with another inquiry; I hope I haven’t done anything wrong. We exchanged looks and chuckled about it. Why did you choose farming? I asked the first question, and he said he chose farming because he wanted to make money.
Tijani, a former teacher, described how he gave up teaching in 2022 to pursue farming. According to Tijani, he shifted to farming after his father died and there was no one to monitor or care for his father’s farm. He revealed that he had to return to run his father’s farm because his earnings as a private school teacher were insufficient to survive.
Tijani, who studied Physics and Biology Education at Osun State College of Education (now the University of Ilesa), revealed that he earns more money as a farmer than as a teacher. Tijani claims that his narrative as a farmer altered in 2024 as a result of the unexpected spike in the price of cocoa seeds. Tijani said, while pointing to a Toyota Venza red parked beside the local shed, that farmers, particularly cocoa producers, gained a lot of money in 2024 owing to a good dollar exchange rate.
“Even our employees are enjoying themselves. I pay my employees on a weekly schedule. I’ve boosted their compensation twice because we’re also making money. The woman who directed you here began working for me in early 2023. She knows what she has accomplished. People should stop worrying about unemployment and return to the farm, like my friend here,” Tijani explained.
Did your friend recently return to farming? I inquired. Tijani replied, “No, they just started farming.” He went on to say that his friend Kayode and two others were attracted by the gains made by cocoa farmers in 2024 and asked me to assist them in leasing some cocoa estates, which I had previously done for them. According to Tijani, his friends had employed the services of laborers to commence work on their lease farms.
Kayode interrupted, stating that his friend Tijani has been a source of strength and motivation for them. While praising Tijani, he said that he visits Iwara on weekends to monitor or review the condition of his farms because his friend assists in managing farm workers. Kayode, who stated that he is a civil servant, claimed that he had little time to oversee the farm’s activities and relied on his friend, Tijani, for help.
“The country is harsh. Inflation exists everywhere. To survive in this country, one must work really hard. Fortunately, as civil servants, we are permitted by law to engage in the farming business. I took out a loan and used my savings to lease two cocoa farms, and work has begun. “I look forward to making gains,” he added.
Kayode’s experience is comparable to many of ordinary Nigerian teenagers who have found solace in the cocoa industry. The rising price has enticed young individuals to invest in the cocoa industry. There have been occasions where people buy or lease cocoa farms and then entrust them to others to handle.
In Iwara, Iyinta, Osu, and Bolorunduro Oni-Oke, I observed an influx of youths in the cocoa business. Ireti, 32, is swimming in a pool of remorse after leasing his cocoa farm for four years starting in 2023. “I leased out my farm for four years and utilized the proceeds to purchase a motorcycle that I use to transport people in Ilesa. “If I had known that cocoa prices would rise unexpectedly, I would not have done so,” a rather depressed Ireti explained.
Ireti, an Iyinta local, went on to say that he has no alternative but to wait till the deal he signed with the individual to whom he leased his cocoa farm expires. According to Ireti, his acquaintances who did not sell or lease their farms are now living large, no thanks to the dollar’s exchange rate.
“Daddy Peter just purchased a 2006 Tokunbo Toyota Camry. Dekunle also purchased a Honda Accord. I can count three friends who have recently finished building their houses. Seyi purchased a brand new TVS motorcycle in 2024. I’m not sad, but I would have been happier if we were making progress together,” Ireti said.
Deji, a 34-year-old Iwara native, is at odds with his father’s siblings over cocoa field ownership. His father, who died in 2018, owned two cocoa farms during his life. The 34-year-old single father of two claims he was meant to inherit the farms, but his father’s siblings took over because he was not present.
When Deji requested possession of the farm, his father’s siblings refused to hand it over to him. Deji said that his father’s siblings maintained that they had spent money to run the farm, including laborers, insecticides, and weed crushers while he was away. Deji says he is willing to do anything to reclaim his father’s farms, which he had previously ignored.
Sola, a young man in his early thirties who lost his father in 2022, accused his father’s relatives of coercing his younger brother to take over the farmland, and that they cursed, abused, and threatened to kill him if he did not leave the farm. Sola also accused his father’s siblings of conspiring with his younger brother to take over the farmland.
“I filed a petition with the police, and they are investigating my claims. My uncles want to kill me over my deceased father’s property. I have taken an oath to retrieve my inheritance. “I’ve seen my father in my dreams, asking me not to leave the farm for them because he does not want his sweat to be in vain,” Sola explained.
He further explained that his uncles are spreading a false narrative that his father leased the land and that the year he died was the expiration of his contract. Sola added he’s counting on the police and the court to assist him.
According to the findings, the number of cocoa-related cases filed in police or courts increased dramatically in 2024.
A senior police officer identified as Abiodun told WITHIN NIGERIA that the influx of young people in the cocoa industry has resulted in an increase in crime rates.
Offenses such as stealing, assault, violence, and robbery, among others, that originated in the cocoa industry increased significantly in 2024 as a result of the price increase, Abiodun stated.
When reached, a court registrar named Timothy confirmed that the court had an inflow of cocoa cases in 2024.
On one particular day, six cases were called in court, all of which included cocoa as the basis of disagreement. The magistrate was even impressed. “He had to say cocoa again after the last case was called,” Timothy explained.
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