The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has urged the citizenry to make chocolate and cocoa products an integral part of their celebration during this year’s National Chocolate Week.

It described gifts without chocolates as being without love -"No Chocolate, No Love," and encouraged the populace to share love with chocolate.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Cocobod, Ray Ankrah, said the week celebration was to whip up the interest in local consumption and boost the local economy.

It is also to improve the health of the citizenry. The National Chocolate Week was introduced last year to replace the National Cocoa Day instituted in 2005 to be celebrated on Valentine's Day, February 14.

The 2022 edition, scheduled from 12 to 22 February, is dubbed "Eat Chocolate, Stay Healthy, Grow Ghana," and was launched at the Tetteh Quarshie Cocoa Farm by Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of Information.

As part of activities to create awareness on the celebration, a health walk was organised from Ayi Mensah to Peduase Lodge in the Eastern Region, where youth groups, community members and officials of COCOBOD and Ghana Tourism Authority participated.

The Deputy CEO called for national support in the local consumption campaign, adding that activities would be undertaken in all 16 regions to mark the celebration.

Mr Jonathan Amarh Amartey, Youth Tourism Ambassador, said the need for local consumption was a right call, adding that the theme "Eat Chocolate, Stay Healthy, Grow Ghana,” was strategic.

He called for the campaign to be taken to communities and villages through tourism clubs. Serwaa Asare, a middle-aged woman who took part in the health walk urged women to buy and eat chocolate and not to always expect it from men as gifts.

She also said local consumption of chocolate should not only be associated with Valentine's Day but a daily activity.

Cocoa products would be given to the Chief Imam on Friday, 11th February at the National Mosque.

The products would be sent to some churches too on Sunday, 13th February. Similar donations would be made in the 16 regions by GTA officials.

A durbar and exhibition of chocolate and cocoa-based products will be held at the Choco-city, Tetteh Quarshie Roundabout, near the Accra Mall and Chocolate Day at the Dubai Expo on Monday, February 14.

Also premiering at the SilverBird Cinema would be Ghanaian movie, "Heroes of Africa, Tetteh Quarshie."

There will also be a Business of Chocolate Expo at Kempinski, Gold Coast City Hotel, Accra, on Tuesday, 22nd February.