Cocoa has continued to dominate the Nigeria’s non-oil exports products since 2006 till now, figures obtained from the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) indicated.

According to the figures, the Cocoa products yielded about $215.2 million in 2006 as against $229.6 million for sheep, goat skin and leather.

It is also higher than $32.3 million for sesame seeds & oil; $62.7 million for rubber; $17.6 million for plastics; and $49.9 million for cotton, yams and fabrics, among others.

Figures for 2007 indicated that Cocoa yielded $312.6 million as against $300.5 million for sheep, goat skin and leather; $71.6 million for sesame seeds & oil; $79.7 million for rubber; $73.1 million for plastics; $45.5 million for cotton, yams & fabrics; $47 million for Aluminium & article; $75.9 million for cashew nuts & edible fruits; $36.1 million for Gum Arabic; and $46.7 million for prawns, fish & crustaceans.

In 2008, the product realized $487.8 million as against $333.6 million for sheep, goat skin and leather; $105.2 million for sesame seeds & oil; $129 million for rubber; $100.6 million for plastics; $60.7 million for cotton, yams & fabrics; $64 million for Aluminium & article; $55.4 million for cashew nuts & edible fruits; $37.1 million for Gum Arabic; and $47.9 million for prawns, fish & crustaceans.

The trend continued in 2009 where cocoa yielded $662.2 million while sheep, goat skin and leather yielded $289.4 million; sesame seeds & oil $115.2 million; rubber $62.5 million; plastics $70.6 million; cotton, yams & fabrics $59.4; Aluminium & article $25 million; cashew nuts & edible fruits $45.6 million; Gum Arabic $43.6 million; prawns, fish & crustaceans $44.1 million, among others.

For the year 2010, cocoa yielded $822.8 million while sesame seeds & oil yielded $188.8 million; rubber $150.4 million; plastics $84.3 million; cotton, yams & fabrics $78.7 million; Aluminium & article $72.1 million; cashew nuts & edible fruits $63 million; Gum Arabic $39.9 million; while prawns, fish & crustaceans yielded $49 million.

Although the 2011 figure is not completely out, Cocoa still topped the non-oil exports with $533.3 million between January and June.