ILE-OLUJI — Premium Cocoa Products Ile-Oluji Ltd, a cocoa processing plant in Ondo State commissioned in 1980, is targeting 30,000 metric tonnes of output by the fourth quarter of 2026 and 45,000 tonnes by December 2027, according to its managing director, Sunday Bamikole. The factory was taken over by Johnvents in February 2023, when its output had dropped below 2,000 tonnes a year against an installed capacity of 30,000 tonnes. Bamikole described it as the only first-generation cocoa processor still operating in Nigeria. He said capital expenditure support from the Bank of Industry in 2024 sped up the recovery, and that demand for its products reached three times its capacity within six months. Almost all of its cocoa butter is exported, while nibs, liquor, cake and powder are also produced. About 40,000 farmers are linked to its supply chain. Johnvents founder John Alamu said the group runs 10 factories in Ondo State, has 48,000 tonnes of cocoa processing capacity, employs more than 4,000 people and operates in 19 countries.