Moving from cocoa trading into processing: who should lead the plant?

In July 2026, Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon signed the Abuja Declaration, agreeing to process more of their cocoa beans within their own borders. The aim is to keep more of the value of cocoa in Africa. New processing plants are already being financed and built. For a company that already trades or exports cocoa, building one of its own can look like a natural next step. A processing plant is a manufacturing operation, though, and leading it requires different experience from leading a trading business. That changes what the company needs from the person who runs it.

Where the new processing investment is going

Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire are two examples of countries where new processing investment has already begun. In Nigeria, the Bank of Industry has secured 60 million euros from the European Investment Bank to finance cocoa processing and chocolate production. Investors there are also developing a large cocoa processing plant in Ogun State. In Côte d’Ivoire, a grinding plant opened in 2025. Grinding is the first industrial stage of processing. It turns beans into cocoa paste, butter and powder, which chocolate makers buy as ingredients.

Why a grinding plant needs different skills from a trading business

A cocoa trading and export business depends on managing price risk and shipping schedules, and on keeping strong relationships with international buyers. A grinding plant makes food ingredients, so its results come from how well the factory runs. The plant has to get as much usable product as possible from each tonne of beans and meet food safety standards. It also has to keep its process stable enough that every batch matches the specification agreed with the buyer. Running a process to that standard takes technical expertise. A business gains that expertise through the people it appoints and develops.

The plant in Côte d’Ivoire opened with its own training centre for cocoa and chocolate professions, so developing skills was part of the investment. Leadership deserves the same attention. A company that has traded cocoa for years has a team with deep trading experience. When it adds a grinding plant, the right person to lead it may not yet be part of that team.

Define the plant leader’s role before appointing anyone

A business can hire a new plant leader or develop the right capabilities within its existing team. Either way, it first needs a clear definition of what the plant requires from its leader. When that definition is written before anyone is appointed, internal and external candidates can be assessed against the same standard: the experience to run a stable, safe food manufacturing process that buyers can rely on.

If your business is moving into cocoa processing, we would be glad to discuss what leading your plant will require, before the role is filled.