News in brief:
– The Federal Government has urged cashew farmers to register cooperatives to access funding and boost exports.
– Stakeholders say cashew farming can drive job creation, rural development, and increase Nigeria’s FX earnings.
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting farmers in Nigeria’s cashew value chain as part of its broader strategy to diversify the economy and boost foreign exchange (FX) earnings through agriculture.
At a media briefing held in Abuja by the National Apex Cashew Farmers, Processors, and Marketing Cooperative, the Federal Director of Cooperatives, Idris Ali Sani, said the cashew industry holds significant potential to create jobs, uplift rural economies, and position Nigeria as a global cashew powerhouse.
Farmers urged to form registered cooperatives
Sani encouraged cashew farmers across the country to form and register cooperatives to access critical government interventions, financial support, and technology.
“The essence of this registration is to identify individual cashew farmers in all producing states and see how they can come together to register as a cooperative society,” he said. “This gives them recognition from the government, international partners, and other stakeholders for possible support.”
He emphasised that smallholder farmers stand a better chance of success when they work together. Registered cooperatives, he added, can elect leaders, access funding, and benefit from training and capacity development programs. According to Sani, Nigeria is already among the top producers of cashew globally, and the crop offers multiple value-added opportunities.
“Cashew is an important economic tree that brings multiple benefits to both producers and the nation,” he noted. “It can be processed into juice, biscuits, and other products. These are the kinds of products we’re trying to promote in Nigeria.”
Sector faces infrastructure, market challenges
Also speaking, President of the Cashew Cooperative, Yunusa Gabriel Enemali, described the cashew sector as a ‘diamond from the tree’ that can help drive Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.
Despite its potential, Enemali noted, the sector continues to struggle with poor infrastructure, limited access to markets and finance, and inadequate policy support.
“The cashew sector in Nigeria has tremendous potential, especially in rural communities. But we face challenges like inadequate infrastructure, pest and disease management, and lack of quality research institutes and standardisation,” he said. “Cashew has been the fourth largest foreign exchange earner for Nigeria in the last five to six years.”
He added that women and youth make up 90% of the sector’s workforce, both on farms and in processing factories.
Enemali also announced the First National Cashew Cooperative Summit, scheduled to be held from August 13–15, 2025. The summit will bring together stakeholders from all 36 states and the FCT to discuss cashew policy, financing, and value chain development.
Financial institutions back cooperative strategy
In a show of solidarity, the Managing Director of the Cooperative Financing Agency, Emmanuel Attama, pledged financial and institutional support for cashew farmers through a cooperative-led model.
“Those involved in cashew farming and suffering losses will now be empowered,” Attama said. “The cooperative development fund is already in place, and the cashew farmers’ apex body is part of it. This will give them access to refined products, markets, finance, and essential services like healthcare, pensions, and housing.”
He called for the aggregation of smallholder farmers to scale up production for domestic consumption and export. “Cashew should be developed as a major enterprise and a way to put food on the table for ordinary Nigerians,” he added.
Government officials, cooperative leaders, and private sector participants at the briefing all agreed that with proper support, Nigeria’s cashew industry can significantly boost non-oil revenue, create rural wealth, and position the country as a global agricultural force.
