A POST circulating on social media claims that South-West states, including Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, and Ogun, alongside Kwara State, have no cocoa plantations.
The user shared a screenshot of a news headline detailing Enugu state’s launch of a 20-hectare pilot cocoa plantation to argue that traditional cocoa-producing states in the South-West are suffering from “visionless leadership” and have abandoned production.
A verified X user @tajudine2013gm2 made the post on May 19, 2026, with the caption:
“No Cocoa plantation in Oyo. No Cocoa Plantation in Osun. No Cocoa Plantation in Ekiti. No Cocoa Plantation in Ondo. No Cocoa Plantation in Ogun. No Cocoa Plantation in Kwara. But Enugu State that was not a beneficiary from Cocoa under Awolowo is planting it. We are suffering from Visionless Leadership.”
As of May 20, the post has garnered over 24,000 views, 140 likes and over 50 reposts.
The post has sparked intense regional debates regarding agricultural output and economic management.
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CLAIM
The post claims that Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun, and Kwara states currently have no cocoa plantations.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.
Checks by The FactCheckHub into the data from the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) and the Cocoa Association of Nigeria confirm that Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, and Kwara are active, federally recognised cocoa-producing states. Nigeria’s cocoa belt remains heavily concentrated within the South-West geopolitical zone, which accounts for over 70 per cent of the country’s total annual cocoa export volume.
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Ondo State stands as Nigeria’s largest cocoa producer, contributing over 50 per cent of the country’s entire output. Academic and export data published via ResearchGate documents that hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers actively cultivate over 600,000 combined hectares of functional cocoa plantations across Ondo, Osun, and Oyo states.
The news article screenshot used in the viral post details an official announcement reported by Nairametrics regarding Enugu State partnering with private investors to establish a new 20-hectare pilot cocoa plantation to expand its revenue base. The article highlights that Enugu is sourcing high-yielding seedlings specifically from the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria based in Ibadan, Oyo State, to jumpstart its new local initiative.
VERDICT
The claim that Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun, and Kwara states have no cocoa plantations is FALSE. These states form the bedrock of Nigeria’s multi-million-dollar cocoa export economy, and official data proves their plantations remain fully operational.
Seasoned writer and literary curator, Zainab Abdulrasaq is a factchecker for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached on IG @blackbookishgirl or zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org
