Data on Cocoa Supply Chain

The dataset used in this study was generated from Southwestern Nigeria, a region that provides a highly relevant empirical setting for analysing cocoa marketing and certification dynamics. Southwestern Nigeria is a major agricultural zone in the country, located between latitudes 6°00′N and 4°00′S and longitudes 4°00′W and 6°00′E, covering approximately 114,271 km², which represents about 12% of Nigeria’s total landmass. The region is characterised by a humid tropical climate, bimodal rainfall distribution, and fertile loamy soils, all of which support the intensive cultivation of perennial cash crops, particularly cocoa. These favourable agro-ecological conditions, combined with relatively better infrastructure compared to other regions, make the area a key hub for commercial agriculture and export-oriented production systems (Kehinde et al., 2016).The dataset specifically reflects the cocoa production and marketing system within five major cocoa-producing states—Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, and Oyo—which collectively account for a substantial proportion of Nigeria’s national cocoa output. Ondo State alone contributes over 40% of national production, reinforcing its position as the country’s cocoa production centre (Amujoyebe et al., 2018). The data capture variations in production and marketing practices across these states, including differences in farmer and trader characteristics, institutional access, and market participation structures. The region’s long-standing engagement in cocoa farming is further supported by established extension services, input distribution networks, and research institutions, which collectively influence production and marketing outcomes (Abidogun et al., 2019).In terms of composition, the dataset incorporates information from actors across the cocoa value chain, including smallholder farmers, Licensed Buying Agents (LBAs), aggregators, processors, and exporters. It includes variables on socio-economic characteristics (such as age, education, and farming or trading experience), institutional factors (such as access to credit, certification schemes, and extension services), and market-related indicators (such as output levels, prices, costs, and marketing margins). These variables were designed to capture both production and marketing dimensions of the cocoa supply chain, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of efficiency and certification effects.Overall, the dataset reflects a dynamic agro-industrial system that links rural producers to domestic and international markets through a network of intermediaries and regulatory institutions. Given that cocoa is Nigeria’s leading non-oil export commodity, and Southwestern Nigeria serves as its production backbone, the dataset provides a robust foundation for examining how certification programs and policy standards—such as international sanitary and phytosanitary requirements—affect marketing efficiency and value chain performance in the region (NBS, 2023).