Dangote Group Negotiates Cocoa Processing Hub in Ghana

The Dangote Group is in negotiations with the Ghanaian government to establish a local processing hub for 500,000 metric tonnes of cocoa. Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson announced that Aliko Dangote personally contacted him and President John Dramani Mahama to propose the investment, which aims to process more than 50 percent of the country's cocoa locally by 2028.

While terms are still under consideration and no contract has been signed, the initiative aligns with Ghana's broader industrial goals to process 100 percent of its domestic cocoa production by 2030. The government intends to shift the industry away from exporting raw beans toward the production of finished goods, such as cosmetics and chocolate.

This cocoa agenda is a component of a larger $10 billion economic transformation plan for 2027–2030. This plan includes a $3 billion investment in commercial agriculture designed to lower Ghana's annual food import bill, which currently costs the country approximately $3.5 billion.