Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote is in talks with the Government of Ghana over a proposed deal that could see 500,000 metric tonnes of cocoa processed in Ghana, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has disclosed.
The minister made the revelation on Thursday, November 12, 2026, on Joy News’ PM Express, shortly after presenting the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament.
According to Dr Forson, Africa’s richest man personally contacted him and President John Dramani Mahama to express interest in using Ghana as a hub for cocoa processing. “He reached out to me. He reached out to His Excellency the President,” he said.
The minister stressed that no contract has been signed yet. “We are going through the terms, and they want to sign a contract,” he said.
Dangote cocoa processing deal: what we know so far
The proposed arrangement involves about 500,000 metric tonnes of cocoa, which would be processed in Ghana rather than exported as raw beans.
Dr Forson said Mr Dangote believes his group could help Ghana process more than half of its cocoa locally by 2028.
The talks remain at the negotiation stage, and the government has not announced a timeline, investment value or location for any processing plant.
Ghana’s cocoa local processing targets in the 2027 Budget
The Dangote talks tie directly into targets set out in the 2027 Budget’s US$3 billion agriculture plan, which forms part of a wider US$10 billion, four-year economic transformation agenda.
- By 2028: at least 50% of Ghana’s cocoa to be processed locally
- By 2030: 100% of Ghana’s cocoa to be processed locally
- Proposed Dangote deal: about 500,000 metric tonnes of cocoa
- Wider programme: US$3 billion commercial agriculture plan under a US$10 billion economic agenda
Reaching full local processing would open the way for an end to raw cocoa bean exports.
A new Cocoa Board Bill before Parliament includes a mandatory local-processing requirement, with a legislative instrument expected to set the timetable for moving from 50% to 100% by 2030.
How the cocoa processing push started
In February 2026, Cabinet directed that at least 50% of cocoa beans produced in Ghana be processed locally from the 2026/27 crop season. The cocoa reform plan announced by the Finance Minister also included reviving the Produce Buying Company and expanding the state-owned Cocoa Processing Company.
The same reforms ended the decades-old syndicated loan model for financing cocoa purchases and replaced it with a domestic financing approach.
What local cocoa processing would cover
The government’s value-addition plan goes beyond grinding beans. Planned processing covers cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa cake and cocoa powder.
It also takes in finished goods such as chocolate and cosmetics made from cocoa.
Dr Forson summed up the message to buyers in simple terms: “Come and buy our cocoa beans, but add value here in Ghana.”
Why Ato Forson wants value addition
The Finance Minister linked the cocoa push to the wider goal of cutting Ghana’s reliance on imports and creating jobs.
He said Ghana spends about US$3.5 billion a year importing food items such as rice, palm oil, sugar and poultry. “All we need to do is modernise agriculture,” he said.
Who is Aliko Dangote and what has he built?
Aliko Dangote heads the Dangote Group, one of Africa’s largest conglomerates, with interests in cement, sugar, fertiliser and oil refining.
The group has expanded agro-industrial investments in recent years, including a rice mill in Jigawa State, Nigeria, and a fertiliser plant deal with the Ethiopian government, signed in 2025 at US$2.5 billion and later raised to more than US$4 billion.
What the Dangote cocoa deal means for Ghanaian farmers and workers
If signed, a large processing deal could create factory jobs and keep more of the value of Ghana’s cocoa within the country.
For farmers, more local processing means a growing domestic market for their beans alongside exports. Producer prices continue to be set by government and COCOBOD.
For the economy, processed cocoa products generally earn more than raw beans, which supports foreign exchange earnings and the cedi.
What happens next
Government and the Dangote side will continue negotiating the terms. Dr Forson has not said when a contract could be signed.
Parliament is also expected to consider the new Cocoa Board legislation and the 2027 Budget in the coming weeks, which will shape the rules for local processing.
Key details at a glance
- Aliko Dangote is negotiating a cocoa processing deal with Ghana.
- The proposed deal involves about 500,000 metric tonnes of cocoa.
- Ato Forson disclosed the talks on November 12, 2026, on Joy News’ PM Express.
- No contract has been signed; terms are still under review.
- Ghana targets 50% local cocoa processing by 2028 and 100% by 2030.
- The plan sits under a US$3bn agriculture programme in the 2027 Budget.
FAQs
Is Dangote building a cocoa factory in Ghana?
Not yet. Dangote is in talks with the government over a deal to process about 500,000 tonnes of cocoa in Ghana, but no contract has been signed.
How much of Ghana’s cocoa will be processed locally?
The government targets at least 50% local processing by 2028 and 100% by 2030, according to the 2027 Budget.
Will Ghana ban raw cocoa exports?
Government says reaching 100% local processing by 2030 would pave the way for ending raw cocoa bean exports, with a legislative instrument to set the timetable.
Aliko Dangote’s interest in processing 500,000 tonnes of cocoa in Ghana gives a major boost to the government’s value-addition agenda, but the deal is still under negotiation. Ghanaians will be watching for a signed contract and the passage of the new Cocoa Board law as the country moves toward processing all its cocoa at home by 2030.
