Wt Cocoa 2x Share News (LCOC)

* UK parent Cussons' group profit down on Nigeria weakness

* Insurgency, naira, elections affect Nigerian sales

* Lagos-listed business's shares fall 6.2 percent (Adds CFO comments)

By Chijioke Ohuocha

LAGOS, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Shares in Nigeria's PZ Cussons fell sharply after its London-listed parent reported adrop in first-half profit, citing tough trading conditions inthe west African country due to an Islamist insurgency and adevaluation of its currency.

British parent PZ Cussons, the maker of ImperialLeather soaps, said on Wednesday that sales were slowing inNigeria - its biggest market - and that group profit wasexpected to be flat or slightly down for the year.

"The bigger impact on business is the ... Boko Haramdisruption in the north," said chief finance officer BrandonLeigh. "The message is some continued disruption, and that'swhat we're planning for."

Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states in Nigeria's northeast havebeen the main targets of Boko Haram militants fighting for fiveyears to carve a radical Islamist state out of Africa's topoil-producing and most populous country.

Shares in the group's Lagos-listed unit PZ Cussons fell 6.2percent to 30.99 naira per share on Wednesday, underperformingthe local bourse which was down 2.2 percent. Thestock had previously shed 10.7 percent this year.

The parent company shed 0.48 percent in London.

Foreign investors have also been selling out of Nigeria'sbanking, consumer and oil sectors as the price of Brent crude - the benchmark against which the country's oil ispriced - plunged.

The drop in oil prices has put Nigeria's currency underpressure and dampened appetite for assets in Africa's biggesteconomy, prompting the central bank to devalue the naira by 8 percent to halt a slide in its foreign reserves.

Africa accounts for more than 40 percent of parent companyCussons' revenues.

The group's operating profit fell 4 percent in the firsthalf of its fiscal year, which ends next May. It said potentialfurther volatility in Nigeria's currency and the presidentialelections in February could affect full-year results.

President Goodluck Jonathan is running for another term inthe poll, which is set to be the most closely fought since areturn to democracy in the country a decade ago. (Additional reporting by Esha Vaish; Editing by Pravin Char)