As part of the implementation of the European Union Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR), a delegation of six Nigerian representatives carried out a study visit to Cameroon from July 14 to 18, 2025. This mission, organized with the support of the SAFE project (Sustainable Agriculture for Forest Ecosystems), aimed to facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices between Cameroon and Nigeria in order to prepare the Nigerian cocoa sector for the new requirements of the European market.
The delegation included representatives from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security of Nigeria, from OLAM Nigeria and Sunbeth Global and one representative from GIZ Nigeria. Since these stakeholders had no prior practical experience with the implementation of the EUDR, their objective was to learn from the progress made by Cameroonian partners within the SAFE project.
During their stay, the visitors met with several key institutions of Cameroon’s cocoa sector: the Interprofessional Cocoa and Coffee Council (CICC), the National Cocoa and Coffee Office (ONCC), as well as the companies OLAM Cameroon and Telcar Cocoa.
The delegation also took part in three major events organized in the context of EUDR implementation in Cameroon:
- On July 15, they attended the national forum on “Cameroon’s Readiness for the EUDR,” organized by the Ministry of Commerce with the support of several partners.
- On July 16, they participated in a technical workshop organized by the FAO, focusing on the mapping of cocoa and coffee production basins.
A valuable opportunity to strengthen regional synergies
This visit represented a valuable opportunity to strengthen regional synergies in West and Central Africa around the sustainability of agricultural value chains. Cameroon and Nigeria, two major cocoa-producing countries, were thus able to move forward together toward effective compliance with the EUDR requirements, in the interest of producers, the environment, and international markets.
This mission has been truly eye-opening. Seeing how Cameroon is approaching EUDR compliance—through collaboration, innovation, and producer engagement—gives us a concrete roadmap to follow in Nigeria.
