FG targets cashew value addition as 85% of output leaves Nigeria unprocessed

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming Nigeria’s cashew industry into a globally competitive, value-added sector, warning that the country continues to lose significant economic value as more than 85 percent of its annual cashew production is exported in raw form.

 

The commitment was reiterated on Wednesday at the stakeholders’ validation workshop for the Nigeria Cashew Industry Roadmap in Abuja, where the government unveiled a strategic blueprint aimed at expanding local processing, attracting investment, creating jobs and boosting non-oil exports.

 

Speaking at the event, John Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, represented by Chris Osa Isokpunwu, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, said the roadmap would reposition the cashew industry as a major contributor to industrialisation and economic diversification.

 

He noted that although Nigeria produces between 300,000 and 350,000 metric tonnes of raw cashew nuts annually, the country’s inability to process the commodity locally has denied it substantial export earnings and employment opportunities.

 

“The Roadmap provides a clear strategy for expanding local processing, increasing farmers’ incomes, attracting investments, creating jobs for women and youth, and strengthening Nigeria’s position in regional and global markets,” he said.

Enoh explained that the roadmap aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the 2026 Nigeria Industrial Policy, while addressing longstanding challenges including low productivity, ageing plantations, inadequate improved seedlings, poor infrastructure, limited access to finance, weak quality standards and underutilised processing capacity.

 

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To ensure effective implementation, he announced plans to establish a Nigerian Cashew Project Office that will coordinate execution of the roadmap in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), GIZ and other development partners.

According to him, the success of the initiative will be measured by increased domestic processing, establishment of new processing factories, higher export earnings, improved livelihoods for farmers and stronger global competitiveness for Nigerian cashew products.

In his welcome address, Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator, represented by Bukar Musa, the Director of the Federal Department of Agriculture, described the validation exercise as a major milestone in developing Nigeria’s cashew value chain.

He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to implementing a comprehensive policy framework that would enhance production, processing, value addition and export competitiveness.

In her part, Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, The Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), said the roadmap represents a critical step towards building a more competitive and resilient cashew industry capable of supporting President Tinubu’s vision of a $1 trillion economy.

She said improved local processing, value addition, investment promotion and increased non-oil exports would be central to achieving that objective, while reaffirming PEBEC’s commitment to improving the business environment through reforms such as the Business Facilitation Act and the ReportGov platform.

The Commissioner for Agriculture in Osun State, Hon. Kola Fashoro, said the policy would unlock the vast economic potential of the cashew industry and position Nigeria as Africa’s leading producer and processor of the commodity.

Industry stakeholders also called for sustained reforms to revive local processing.

The Cashew Processors and Allied Products Association of Nigeria (CAPPAN) urged the government to maintain consistent, investor-friendly policies to restore confidence in the sector, while the National President of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), Ademola Adesokan, described the roadmap as a timely opportunity to reverse years of missed opportunities and reclaim Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global cashew market.

 

Similarly, Yinusa Gabriel, the National President of the National Apex of Cashew Farmers, Processors and Marketing Cooperative, advocated increased investment in climate-smart production, digital farmer registration, traceability systems, structured commodity markets and expanded local processing.