18 states with identified production
State-by-state cocoa evidence
Sort, filter and search down to LGA and community names. Toggle to hide anything without a published tonnage.
| % of total | Belt | Evidence | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OndoTier 1 | 78,783 | 24% | South-West core belt | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 2 | OsunTier 1 | 72,217 | 22% | South-West core belt | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 3 | Cross RiverTier 1 | 59,087 | 18% | Eastern / South-South belt | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 4 | OyoTier 2 | 32,826 | 10% | South-West core belt | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 5 | OgunTier 2 | 29,544 | 9% | South-West core belt | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 6 | EkitiTier 2 | 7,759 | <5% | South-West core belt | Measured· Ekiti State |
| 7 | EdoTier 3 | 4,880 | <5% | Mid-west transition belt | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 8 | DeltaTier 3 | 4,780 | <5% | South-South pocket | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 9 | AbiaTier 3 | 4,680 | <5% | South-East pocket | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 10 | Akwa IbomTier 3 | 4,580 | <5% | South-South pocket | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 11 | TarabaTier 4 | 4,480 | <5% | Emerging highland pocket | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 12 | AdamawaTier 4 | 4,380 | <5% | Emerging highland pocket | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 13 | KogiTier 4 | 4,280 | <5% | Northern edge | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 14 | KwaraTier 4 | 4,180 | <5% | Northern edge | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 15 | EbonyiTier 4 | 4,080 | <5% | South-East pocket | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 16 | ImoTier 4 | 3,980 | <5% | South-East pocket | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 17 | RiversTier 4 | 3,747 | <5% | Marginal | Study estimate· Frontiers |
| 18 | LagosMarket | 0 | 0% | Market, logistics and processing | Study estimate· Frontiers |
Ondo
24%
Nigeria's most important cocoa territory: the largest single share in the published national production dataset, combined with established cocoa infrastructure and proximity to the Lagos export corridor.
Key LGAs
Ifedore · Idanre · Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo · Ondo West · Owo · Ose · Odigbo · Akure South
Towns & communities
Idanre · Odode-Idanre · Alade · Atosin · Ile-Oluji · Okeigbo · Ondo · Owo
Study estimate· FrontiersOsun
22%
An extremely dense traditional cocoa belt concentrated on the Ife–Ilesa–Atakumosa axis rather than spread evenly across the state.
Key LGAs
Ife East · Atakumosa East · Atakumosa West · Ife North · Ife South · Ilesa area
Towns & communities
Ile-Ife · Iyanfoworogi · Ilesa · Atakumosa communities
Study estimate· FrontiersCross River
18%
The great eastern cocoa belt: large rainforest environment, community-owned farmland and the fastest-visible expansion response to the 2023–2025 price boom.
Key LGAs
Ikom · Etung · Boki · Akamkpa · Biase · Abi · Obubra
Towns & communities
Ikom · Etung · Boki · Obubra · Akamkpa · Biase · Abi
Study estimate· FrontiersOyo
10%
A southern/western forest-transition belt. Ibadan is a commercial, transport and processing centre — the farms are in the surrounding rural LGAs.
Key LGAs
Ido · Ibarapa / Eruwa belt · Iseyin area
Towns & communities
Ido · Daagi Logba · Eruwa · Iseyin
Study estimate· FrontiersOgun
9%
Strategically important because of proximity to Lagos — Nigeria's biggest market and its main export/processing corridor.
Key LGAs
Odeda · Ijebu agricultural belt · Yewa / Imeko belt
Towns & communities
Odeda · Ijebu-area communities · Imeko
Study estimate· FrontiersEkiti
<5%
More important than its absolute size suggests: official state agricultural statistics expose real LGA-level concentration, which most national datasets hide.
Key LGAs
Gbonyin · Ise/Orun · Ekiti South-West · Ijero (Ilero/Ijero) · Ado-Ekiti · Ekiti West · Emure · Ikere · Irepodun/Ifelodun · Ekiti East · Oye · Ikole
Towns & communities
Gbonyin · Ise · Orun · Ijero · Ikere · Ado-Ekiti · Ikoro · Iloro
Measured· Ekiti StateEdo
<5%
The major cocoa state of Nigeria's mid-west and the ecological bridge between the South-West belt and the Cross River / Niger Delta system.
Key LGAs
Owan West · Owan East · Akoko-Edo · Uhunmwode
Towns & communities
Sabongida-Ora · Afuze · Igarra · Ehor
Study estimate· FrontiersDelta
<5%
A smaller producer whose cocoa sits in forested northern/central agricultural communities, not the Warri urban/oil core.
Key LGAs
Aniocha South
Towns & communities
Nsukwa
Study estimate· FrontiersAbia
<5%
Cocoa forms part of the south-eastern agricultural economy without being nationally dominant.
Key LGAs
Ikwuano
Towns & communities
Ikwuano
Study estimate· FrontiersAkwa Ibom
<5%
Locally significant cocoa production without national scale.
Key LGAs
Ini
Towns & communities
Odoro Ikpe
Study estimate· FrontiersTaraba
<5%
Evidence that cocoa can be cultivated outside the traditional belts where microclimate and elevation are suitable.
Key LGAs
Gashaka
Towns & communities
Gashaka
Study estimate· FrontiersAdamawa
<5%
A much smaller production pocket than Ondo or Cross River.
Key LGAs
Toungo
Towns & communities
Toungo
Study estimate· FrontiersKogi
<5%
A minor production location on the northern edge of the cocoa envelope.
Key LGAs
Lokoja
Towns & communities
Lokoja
Study estimate· FrontiersKwara
<5%
The northern edge of the traditional South-West cocoa belt.
Key LGAs
Isin
Towns & communities
Oke-Onigbin
Study estimate· FrontiersEbonyi
<5%
A small south-eastern production location.
Key LGAs
Afikpo South
Towns & communities
Edda
Study estimate· FrontiersImo
<5%
A production-location observation in the study's sampling framework at a very small level — not a statement that Owerri is cocoa farmland.
Key LGAs
Owerri
Towns & communities
New Owerri
Study estimate· FrontiersRivers
<5%
Marginal cocoa production; described as infinitesimal in the dataset.
Key LGAs
Bonny
Towns & communities
Bonny
Study estimate· FrontiersLagos
0%
Not a production territory. Lagos matters as a trading, export/logistics, financial, processing and destination market.
Key LGAs
Ikeja
Towns & communities
Ikeja · Agege
Study estimate· Frontiers