Sunbeth to Launch 70,000 MT Cocoa, 80,000 MT Cashew Processing Plants in March 2027

• Facilities to service key markets across the globe

Goddy Egene

Sunbeth Global Concepts Limited, one of Nigeria’s largest cocoa exporters, has announced plans to establish a 70,000-metric tonne capacity cocoa processing factory, alongside an 80,000-metric tonne cashew processing plant.

The company said both facilities, currently under construction, were part of its long-term strategy to deepen local value addition across Africa’s agricultural value chains and boost export earnings.

Managing Director of Sunbeth Global Concepts Limited, Mr. Olasunkanmi Owoyemi, announced the plan during the Africa Cocoa Finance and Investment Forum (ACFIF) held at the London Stock Exchange.

According to Owoyemi, the facility is scheduled for inauguration in March 2027.

He explained that the dual investment reflected Sunbeth’s commitment to building industrial-scale agro-processing capacity in two of Africa’s most strategic export commodities.

Owoyemi stated that Sunbeth had evolved from a trading enterprise into an integrated processor, a transition designed to capture greater value, create sustainable employment, and drive operational efficiency.

He said the cocoa facility will reinforce Nigeria’s position in the global cocoa processing landscape, while the cashew plant will serve growing demand across West Africa and supply premium export markets in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Sunbeth’s decision to invest in state-of-the-art, purpose-built processing facilities marks a decisive shift in Africa’s agricultural value chain. The company is committed to constructing brand-new, best-in-class plants, reflecting its conviction that world-class ambition demands world-class infrastructure.

Having grown from a domestic trading operation less than a decade ago into one of Nigeria’s — and indeed Africa’s — foremost cocoa exporters, Sunbeth is now executing the next phase of its corporate journey: industrial-scale processing.

Owoyemi said, “Scaling in this industry demands far more than capacity expansion. A 70,000-metric tonne cocoa processing plant is only as viable as the supply chain that sustains it.

“Vertical integration is not optional; it is the foundation of a business built to last. The processing journey calls for significantly greater commitment from us — we must participate in backward integration by cultivating the crops required to feed our plants, and we must invest deeply in our value chain by empowering farmers with the education, technology, financing structures and logistics needed to improve yields and ensure that our facilities operate sustainably.”

The processing plant announcements form part of a comprehensive vertical integration strategy. Through its Orange Cocoa Sustainability Framework, the company is investing in best-in-class quality control infrastructure, farmer training programmes, and strategic partnerships designed to lift cocoa yields and elevate quality standards at the farm level.

Sunbeth’s approach is grounded in the conviction that sustainable processing capacity must be underpinned by a reliable, high-quality domestic supply chain — one that the company is determined to build itself.

Sunbeth currently operates across Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon — three of West Africa’s most important cocoa-producing nations. The company has also established offices in London, Dubai and New York to strengthen its access to global markets, international talent and diversified trade finance structures. This combination of deep African roots and a growing international presence positions Sunbeth to capture value across the entire cocoa supply chain, from farm to finished product.

Looking ahead to 2050, Sunbeth said it envisioned an Africa that not only produced most of the world’s cocoa and cashew, but also processed, traded, and derived the full economic benefits of these commodities.

The company said its sustained investment in processing infrastructure, research, vertical integration, and global market access had been deliberately designed to lay the groundwork for the future.