East Kalimantan:Abuja Amb. Alphonsus Inyang, President of the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria, has been elected Chairman of the General Assembly of the World Coalition of Oil Palm Smallholders (WCOPS). His election took place at the International Oil Palm Smallholders Forum in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, with over 400 delegates in attendance.
Accourding to News Agency of Nigeria, Inyang was unanimously chosen for the position, which is considered the highest decision-making organ of WCOPS. His new role is expected to enhance Nigeria’s influence in the global oil palm sector.
Inyang will work alongside other elected officials, including Dr. Gulat Manurung of Indonesia as President, Dr. Napoleon Ningkos of Malaysia as Vice President for Asia and Europe, and Mr. Tuan Hassan of Malaysia as Vice President for Asia, Pacific, and Oceania. Additional officials include Mr. Allan of Honduras as Vice President for the Americas, Dr. Djono Albar Burhan of Indonesia as Executive Director, and Dr. Paul Amaning of Ghana as Director of Digitalisation and Innovation.
The coalition, formed by the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries with support from Indonesia and Malaysia’s governments, is dedicated to promoting the interests of smallholders worldwide. It is supported by organizations such as SOLIDARIDAD and the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil.
Inyang emphasized the forum’s unanimous decision to protect the rights and interests of more than 50 million oil palm smallholders globally. Participants included representatives from various organizations such as the Indonesian Palm Oil Association, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, and Malaysian Palm Oil Council. Inyang, known as an international resource person on oil palm, committed to advocating for Africa’s interests within the coalition.