The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to repositioning Nigeria’s cashew industry as a globally competitive, value-added sector with the validation of the Nigeria Cashew Industry Roadmap.
Speaking at the Stakeholders’ Validation Workshop on Wednesday 15th July,2026 in Abuja, the Honourable Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu, described the Roadmap as a strategic blueprint for expanding local processing, attracting investment, increasing farmers’ incomes, creating jobs for women and youth, and strengthening Nigeria’s position in regional and global markets.
He noted that although Nigeria produces between 300,000 and 350,000 metric tonnes of raw cashew nuts annually, more than 85 per cent is exported without processing, depriving the country of significant economic value.
The Minister explained that the Roadmap aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the 2026 Nigeria Industrial Policy, while addressing critical challenges such as low productivity, ageing plantations, inadequate seedlings, poor infrastructure, limited access to finance, weak quality standards and underutilised processing capacity.
He announced plans to establish a Nigerian Cashew Project Office to coordinate implementation in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), GIZ and other partners, stressing that the Roadmap’s success would be measured by increased local processing, establishment of new factories, higher export earnings, improved livelihoods for farmers and enhanced global competitiveness.
In his welcome address, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Abubakar Kyari (CON), represented by Mr Bukar Musa, Director Federal Department of Agriculture, described the validation exercise as a major milestone in strengthening Nigeria’s cashew industry and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to developing a comprehensive policy framework that will drive production, processing, value addition and export competitiveness.
Also speaking, the Director of Industrial Development Department, Mr. Bala Mohammed, representing the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, urged stakeholders to validate an inclusive and implementable Roadmap capable of accelerating industrialisation, export diversification and sustainable economic growth.
Delivering goodwill messages, the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, described the Roadmap as a critical step towards building a more competitive and resilient cashew sector capable of contributing to President Tinubu’s vision of a one-trillion-dollar economy through value addition, local processing, investment, non-oil exports and job creation.
She reaffirmed PEBEC’s commitment to improving the business environment through reforms such as the Business Facilitation Act and Report gov platform.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Osun State, Hon. Kola Fashoro, said the policy would unlock the sector’s enormous economic potential and position Nigeria as Africa’s leading producer and processor of cashew.
The Cashew Processors and Allied Products Association of Nigeria (CAPPAN) called for consistent, investor-friendly policies to revive local processing and restore investor confidence, while the National President of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), Mr. Ademola Adesokan, described the Roadmap as an urgent opportunity to reverse years of missed opportunities and regain Nigeria’s global competitiveness.
The National President of the National Apex of Cashew Farmers, Processors and Marketing Cooperative, Mr. Yinusa Gabriel, advocated greater investment in climate-smart production, digital farmer registration, traceability, structured markets and local processing, with farmers at the centre of implementation.
Similarly, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX), represented by Dr. Khadijat Abdulaziz, underscored the importance of the policy in strengthening commodity markets, improving quality standards, expanding access to finance and enhancing value addition across the cashew value chain.
Stakeholders unanimously agreed that effective implementation of the Roadmap would transform Nigeria’s cashew industry into a major driver of industrialisation, job creation, export growth, rural development and economic diversification.
Obilor -Duru Augustina Okechi
Head Press and PR
FMITI
15th July 2026
