FG Pledges Support for Cashew Farmers to Boost Exports, Foreign Exchange Earnings

James Emejoin Abuja

The federal government yesterday said it is taking concrete steps to support farmers in the cashew value chain, in a calculated move to position the cash crop as one of the country’s major sources of Foreign Exchange (FX).

The government pointed out that the commodity holds untapped potential to transform rural economies and create jobs across the country.

Speaking at a media briefing organised by the National Apex Cashew Farmers, Processors, and Marketing Cooperative in Abuja, Federal Director of Cooperatives, Idris Ali Sani, therefore, urged cashew farmers to form registered cooperatives to access government’s interventions.

He also stressed that cooperative registration remained key to accessing finance, technology, and government interventions.

Sani said, “The essence of this registration is to identify individual cashew farmers in all the producing states and see how they can come together to register as a cooperative society.

“By doing this, they gain recognition from the government, international partners, and other stakeholders for possible support.

“An individual farmer who is a smallholder cannot do it alone. But when they come together and register as a cooperative body, they have that advantage to elect leadership, access finance, and receive capacity development.”

He further emphasised the economic potential of the cashew industry, adding that the country had already made its mark as one of the top global producers of cashew nuts.

He said, “Cashew is an important economic tree that brings multiple benefits to both the producers and the nation. It can be processed into juice, biscuits, and many more. These are the kinds of products we are trying to promote in Nigeria.”

In his remarks, President of the Cooperative, Yunusa Gabriel Enemali, described the cashew sector as a “diamond from the tree,” adding that the crop can power Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.

He said the cooperative has a vision to make the country a leading cashew producing and processing nation, enhancing economic growth and farmers’ livelihoods.

He noted that despite Nigeria being among the top global cashew producers, the industry is still struggling with poor infrastructure, limited access to markets, lack of finance, and weak policy support.

He said, “The cashew sector in Nigeria has tremendous potential, especially at the rural communities. But we face challenges like inadequate infrastructure, pest and disease management, and lack of quality research institutes and standardization. Cashew is the fourth largest earner for Nigeria in the last five to six years.”

Highlighting the inclusiveness of the sector, Enemali stressed that 90 per cent of the workforce in the cashew sector are women and youth – on the farm, in factories, and beyond.

He announced the First National Cashew Cooperative Summit scheduled for August 13–15, 2025, which will bring together stakeholders from all 36 states and the FCT to discuss the future of the industry, validate a national cashew policy, and explore financing and value chain development opportunities.

Managing Director/Chief Executive Cooperative Financing Agency, Emmanuel Attama, pledged financial and institutional support to cashew farmers through a cooperative-driven strategy.

He said, “Those involved in cashew farming and suffering losses will now be empowered. 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 health care, pensions, and housing.”

Attama stressed the need to aggregate smallholder farmers to scale up production for both local consumption and export.

He said, “The entire cooperative movement in Nigeria is solidly behind the cashew efforts. Cashew should be developed as a major enterprise and a way to put food on the table for ordinary Nigerians.”

Government officials, cooperative leaders, and private sector actors present at the event agreed that cashew, if fully developed, can significantly boost non-oil revenue, lift rural populations, and enhance Nigeria’s global agricultural competitiveness.