Chief Imam urges Muslims to consume more cocoa products 

He noted that cocoa had been a major pillar of the Ghanaian economy, therefore, consuming its products would not only provide health benefits but economic gains for the country.

Dr Sharubutu said this when officials of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) paid a courtesy call on him as part of the celebration of the National Chocolate Week.

Ten boxes of chocolate and other cocoa products were presented to him.

Speaking on behalf of the National Chief Imam, Alhaji Mamah Gado Mohammed, Chairman of the Advisory Board, Office of the National Chief Imam, said it was unacceptable that: “We don’t eat our cocoa! We plant it, harvest it, we bag it and ship it to them.”

“It is the consumption that helps our economy, we don’t have to depend on the whites.”

During this year’s launch of the National Chocolate Week celebrations, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of Information, said Ghana’s per capita cocoa consumption in the medium term was a little above 0.55kg, short of the target 1kg.

Mr Ekow Sampson, Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Operations, GTA, said promoting the consumption of chocolate and cocoa products was part of local tourism and that the Authority had been promoting that through tourism clubs.

He said the GTA and COCOBOD could not do the campaign alone hence the collaboration with religious bodies, civil society organisations and other agencies.

Mr Sampson said the Authority had established 50 tourism clubs in tertiary institutions to promote local tourism and national cohesion.

The National Chocolate Week Celebration is scheduled for 12th–22nd February 2022, under the theme: “Eat Chocolate, Stay Healthy, Grow Ghana,” with a sub theme: “Our Chocolate, Our Health, Our Wealth.”