Abuja: The Federal Government has validated the Nigeria Cashew Industry Roadmap to promote local processing, increase value addition, create jobs, and strengthen the country’s non-oil exports. The Minister of State for Industry, Sen. John Enoh, announced this at the stakeholders’ validation workshop on the roadmap, emphasizing the plan’s significance in transitioning Nigeria from exporting raw cashew nuts to producing competitive value-added cashew products and derivatives.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the roadmap will support the establishment of a Nigerian Cashew Project Office to coordinate implementation alongside industry operators and relevant institutions. The objective is to improve farmers’ incomes, strengthen domestic markets, and create employment opportunities, particularly for women and young people. Currently, Nigeria produces between 300,000 and 350,000 metric tonnes of raw cashew nuts annually, with more than 85 percent exported without processing, limiting domestic value addition and industrial growth.
Sen. Enoh highlighted the importance of collaboration among government, industry players, and development partners to expand processing, create jobs, and increase export earnings. The roadmap aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and complements the 2026 Nigeria Industrial Policy, the Shea Nut Value Addition Strategy, and the Cocoa Reform Initiative launched on July 14. Enoh urged stakeholders to move beyond validation to implementation, stating that success would be measured by increased local processing, new factories, jobs created, empowered farmers, and higher export earnings.
In a goodwill message, Dr. Chris Isokpunwu, represented by the Director of Industrial Development, Mr. Mohammed Bala, emphasized the strategic importance of the cashew industry to Nigeria’s economic diversification. The roadmap provides an implementation framework to promote investment, processing, branding, and value addition across the cashew value chain.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Abubakar Kyari, also spoke at the event, noting that cashew remains one of Nigeria’s priority export crops, cultivated in 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Represented by Mr. Bukar Musa, Kyari stated that the roadmap would address the absence of a coordinated policy framework and support improved production, processing, marketing, and value addition.
Mr. Ademola Adesokan, President of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria, pledged the association’s support for the implementation of the roadmap to strengthen the industry. Princess Zahrah Audu, Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, reiterated the administration’s commitment to promoting productivity, value addition, and sustainable economic development.