It’s only fitting that something as beautiful, dynamic and perfect as chocolate gets its own ‘International XYZ’ day, no? 🥳 Today is the day we get to celebrate sweetness, comfort and maybe even a little romance — all the things that chocolate embodies.

International Chocolate Day is a day to celebrate all the varieties of chocolate, however dark, milky, white (YES, WHITE) or nutty you like it (there will be no chocolate discrimination on this day, so maybe Bounty eaters can finally catch some rest from dragging 😂). It’s also a pretty great excuse to mud the diet for a day or two and enjoy your life, abeg.

As with other parts of the world, chocolate is a big deal in Nigeria. It’s the promised treasure at the end of a task well done for many kids. It’s the gift of choice for men to dazzle their partners — or crushes — with on Valentine’s day, and a welcome fixture on food trays.

Although we have cocoa production in the bag, chocolate-making in Nigeria isn’t as much of a thing as it should be. West Africa, alone, accounts for over 60% of cocoa production in the world. Nigeria is the 4th largest cocoa producer on the globe and 3rd largest in Africa (after Ivory Coast and Ghana). These numbers don’t translate to local chocolate production, unfortunately. We export so much cocoa out of the continent at extremely low rates, only to be sold chocolate at comparatively ridiculous prices.

A few Nigerians saw the problem with this pipeline and decided they wanted the country to actually benefit from the multi-billion dollar chocolate industry. Here are five of those brands, which (I must say) are just as good as some of your foreign faves, but made here on Nigerian soil.

1. Loom Craft Chocolate

Damage > N1500 — N1800 (per bar)

Loom Craft Chocolate was founded by Uzoamaka Igweike after a visit to Manchester, where she was left shocked by the disparity in prices of a single Toblerone bar – £1, compared to the N3000 it was being retailed at in Nigeria. The madness of it all inspired her to start thinking about making locally-produced chocolate, especially with the advantage of the abundance of cocoa beans present here, in Nigeria.

Loom Craft Chocolate makes chocolate with beans sourced from Ondo, Osun, Edo and Cross River States. They boast of making “truly Nigerian chocolate”, as they infuse locally-sourced ingredients and treats like coffee, konio, cashew, ginger, balla kwabo and kunu into their products.

They offer a whopping 20+ chocolate flavours, which, thankfully, include options for vegans as well. Some of their bestselling flavours are the 55% and 40% Milk Chocolate, 70% Dark Dates Chocolate, Spiced Black Coffee Chocolate, Peanut Brittle Chocolate and Chocolate Mylk and Cookie. I love that they also make chocolate spreads and cookies, not just chocolate bars.

2. Loshes Chocolate

Damage > N1400 – N2500 (per bar) | N10000 — N30000 (for a collection/gift box)

Loshes Chocolate is a Lagos-based bean-to-bar chocolate maker, producing hand-crafted chocolate — from a single, premium cocoa bean source to what ends up on supermarket shelves. The company was founded by Femi Oyedipe in 2015, and has since boasted of an ethical, organic chocolate-making process that excludes preservatives and additives. Its beans are sourced from Oyo and Ondo States, Nigeria’s top cocoa producers.

Loshes Chocolate offers 4 chocolate flavours: The Milk Bar, The Dark Bar, Dark-Milk Chocolate (56% milk chocolate) and Milk Chocolate with Orange Pulp. It also offers praline boxes which come in two sizes — with 12 or 24 mini chocolates.

Their chocolates are available in stores nationwide and can also be ordered online.

3. Pod Chocolates

Damage > N1500 — N2000 (per bar) | N2500 — N15000 (for a collection/gift box)

Pod Chocolates, founded by Moji Aina in 2018, is another Nigerian bean-to-bar chocolate company that transforms locally-sourced cocoa beans into silky smooth, preservative-free chocolate. The company says it’s dedicated to “spreading the chocolate gospel” in Nigeria, so they also host chocolate tasting events, trainings and team-building activities.

Pod Chocolates offers a rather interesting line-up of chocolate flavours: Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate, 40% Milk Chocolate, Caramelised White Chocolate with Chin Chin, 55% Dark Chocolate, Zingy Zobo Chocolate and even a limited-edition Jollof-inspired chocolate bar, that I still semi-dying to try because 🤔🤔

Their product range also includes chocolate mendiants, chocolate spreads, classic boxes with mini chocolates and gift boxes.

4. Dùne Chocolate

Damage > N30** — N500 (per bar) | N2500 – N15300 (for boxes)

**Yes, you read that right. You can get one of their mini chocolates for under N50.

Dùne Chocolate is one of the more popular locally-produced chocolate bars. You’ve most likely seen it in the snack section of the cinema food counter, or maybe even mistook it to be part of Dune, the film’s marketing paraphernalia (there is NO WAY that was just me!).

This brand, which produces chocolate from beans sourced from Ondo state, is big on empowering its local workforce of cacao bean farmers and creating opportunities for marginalised communities.

Dùne Chocolate flavours include Milk Chocolate, 55% Dark Chocolate and 77% Dark Chocolate. Their product catalogue includes bars of 5g, 30g and 100g, as well as bags of chocolate chips, which can be used for baking. It’s largely accessible in supermarkets, so you’ll most likely find Dùne in the nearest store, or you can order online.

5. ChockRidge Chocolates

Damage > N550 — N2500 (per bar) | N6000 — N12000 (for boxes)

ChockRidge Chocolate — formerly Adiels Chocolate — is an Abuja-based artisanal chocolate brand. As with the others, they offer an impressively wide range of flavours: 41% Milk Chocolate, 50% Dark Milk Chocolate, 65% Dark Chocolate, 76% Dark Chocolate, 35% White Chocolate, Oat Milk Chocolate and even Pumpkin Spice Latte White Chocolate, for some abroad vibes while you’re sitting in traffic.

They also offer gift boxes and customised chocolates for events and occasions, like birthdays, anniversaries and weddings. A sweet little touch for these harsh economic times.

Happy International Chocolate Day! Let’s celebrate the Nigerian way, by supporting our local chocolatiers 💜

Oyinda is a writer and lover of knowledge. When she's not reading random stuff on the internet, or putting finger to keyboard, you'll find her chopping the life of her head.

International Chocolate Day: 5 Artisanal Nigerian Brands to Try This Week