The Member of Parliament for Manso Nkwanta in the Ashanti Region, Tweneboah Kodua Fokuo is urging Government to position Ghana as a Global Chocolate hub to attract tourists across the world annually on Valentine’s Day.
According to him, just as the Tourism ministry was able to successfully make Ghana a Christmas destination, it is also important for the government to devise ways of branding the country as a destination for specialty Chocolate.
Ghana is currently the world’s second largest producer of cocoa after Ivory Coast.
Unfortunately, most of the cocoa beans produced are exported outside the shores of the country in their raw state without much value addition.
Mr Tweneboah Kodua Fokuo believes the country could leverage its cocoa dominance and shift from merely exporting the raw cocoa beans to adding value through chocolate production, whiles promoting the Ghanaian premium cocoa which is sustainable and ethically sourced.
The Manso Nkwanta representative made the call on the floor of Parliament last Friday 14 February in a contribution to a statement made by the minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare and two others on 2025 edition of the National Chocolate Day celebration.
The MP emphasised investment in local chocolate manufacturing facilities by local entrepreneurs and international investors through partnerships with Licensed Cocoa Buying companies to realise the vision.
Mr Fokuo is convinced that, Ghana could create distinct identity by incorporating local flavours and using attractive designs in packaging of the its chocolate showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the country.
He also proposed partnership among the ministry of Tourism and global organisations to promote Ghana as the Chocolate Capital of the World on Valentine’s day with side events such as Chocolate tasting, cooking classes and cultural performances to attract international visitors to Ghana.
Additionally, Mr Fokuo said the country could collaborate with international chocolate experts to share knowledge and best practices to improve production technologies whiles promoting Science, Technical, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education focused on agriculture and food processing to build a skilled workforce.
The lawmaker tasked the Tourism ministry to create a favourable policy environment that attracts investment and support the Ghanaian chocolate industry.
By: Christian Kpesese
