COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE 1ST NATIONAL COCONUT CONFERENCE AND EXPO 2021(WORLD COCONUT DAY) HELD AT THE CONFERENCE HALL, NIGERIA EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCIL (NEPC), ABUJA FROM THURSDAY, 2ND – FRIDAY, 3RD SEPTEMBER, 2021.

Introduction

The 1st National Coconut Conference and Expo 2021 (World Coconut Day) in Nigeria with the theme “COSIN: Towards Sustainable Economic Development in Nigeria” was organized by the National Coconut Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NACOPPMAN) in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. 

The conference was organized to create a platform for Government (Federal, States and Local Governments), players in the industry, Resource persons and Experts in the sub-sector to highlight the enormous benefits of coconut as a cash crop and its impact on Nigeria's economic development through promotion and improvement of coconut agricultural and associated processes, as well as to provide a unified voice for all coconut stakeholders across the value chain for job and wealth creation, economic diversification, medicinal and nutritional provisions, and to improve the well-being of Nigerians. 

The Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo CON, ably represented by the Director, Commodities and Export Department in the Ministry, Mr. S. A Audu declared the Conference open .

In attendance were the representatives of the Honorable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Members of the National Assembly, Representatives of Lagos State Government, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Kogi, NAFDAC, NEPC, FACAN, NAQS, Vice Chancellor Nnamdi Azikiwe University, President, Bioresources Development Group, Relevant Private Sectors and Coconut stakeholders.

Discussion 

Eight (8) Papers were presented covering the entire coconut value chain – Production, Processing, Marketing/Distribution and Consumption based on Quality, Research and Development were discussed at the conference. 

The topics were: Coconut Derivatives: Health, Industrial and Economic Development Prospects in Nigeria;Prospects of organic coconut production in Nigeria;Contributions of Producer's co-operative societies towards industrialization in Anambra State;Technology Adoption and Coconut Production among farmers in MKPAT-ENIN LGA Akwa Ibom State;Investment opportunities in the Coconut value chain from plantation to export;Conference Sub Themes and Book of Proceeding;Coconut and your meal, a Guarantee for Healthy living;COSIN Plantations possibility: Coconut Farming in Nigeria.6. At the end of the 2 days event, the conference considered and resolved critical issues affecting coconut sufficiency in Nigeria (COSIN). 

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 forward.

The conference agreed that establishing ten thousand (10,000) hectares of coconut plantation in each of the federation's states, as well as a one-family-three-coconut-trees program will enhance coconut sufficiency in Nigeria, thereby anticipating economic contribution to GDP over a ten-year period predicted to rise exponentially, improving per capita income, exports, and job creation, particularly for youths and women. The participants noted that the coconut industry is ailing in awareness of its health benefits, marketing, consumption and research which summed up that the entire value chain needs Government intervention. Identified Challenges8. The stakeholders noted various challenges that hinder the output of Coconut production which include inconsistency in Government policies, inadequate funding of Research and Development, lack of synergy between Research institutions and Farmers, problem of identifying the right sector players, lack of synergy among the key regulatory and quality control agencies, stringent measures for accessing finance for players in the industry, industrial infrastructure deficit, lack of awareness of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), poor post-harvest handling and packaging, among others.Opportunities and Prospects9. The conference agreed that coconut has a vast global market that is rapidly expanding with the barrel of coconut oil sold at about 736 US Dollar as compared to fossil oil which is about 19.25 US Dollar. Also that there are tremendous prospects and opportunities in the coconut industry which include availability of vast arable land, increase in the demand of coconut and its by-products especially with emerging global markets which is expected to reach $31.1 billion by 2026 with projected statistics output in Nigeria ranges between 29,000 and 30,000 metric tonnes respectively. 

Efforts So Far.

The conference agreed that coconut though yet-to-be-developed sub-sector requires the best strategy in order to expand investment and opportunities, therefore there is need for more sensitization due to its nutritional and health benefits.

 Recommendations.

Consequent upon this, the following recommendations were made:Assistance for the development of the Coconut Seed Bank to ensure the supply of innovative viable certified seedlings with at least ten million (10,000,000) seed nuts;Granting of import duty waiver Coconut seedlings for the importation of innovative varieties from Malaysia and Indonesia to complement the local varieties in order to improve production for local consumption and export;Funding opportunities for the COSIN project to alleviate the cost of labour, organic agro boaster, pesticides, herbicides, mechanized equipment and other farm input;Sponsorship for the establishment of one hundred (100) hectares “COSIN COCONUT PLANTATION PROJECT (CCPP)” and States Governors to assist the state chapters to establish ten thousand Hectares Plantation in their various states to achieve COSIN (2027);Inclusion of NACOPPMAN in the CBN Anchors Borrower’s Programme as a national crop grown in over 30 states in Nigeria; Supply of coconuts processing machineries and equipment for small and medium processors in the industry; Support of the government in regards to funding for Coconuts Production Research and Development;Establishment of the coconut Processing Hubs in all the geopolitical zones for value addition for exports;The implementation of massive cultivation of Coconut through the Out-Growers scheme that was recently adopted in the just concluded conference of the National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development (NCARD) through NACOPPMAN for the benefits of coconut stakeholders in Nigeria;There should be more clinical research on the potentials of coconut in addition to Prof. Maurice Iwu's findings;That coconut should be recognized as a National crop in Nigeria;That coconut should be incorporated into our daily diets;There should be capacity building/training of coconut farmers on the use of Neem fertilizer for organic coconut production in Nigeria;That there is the need for National Policy on coconut to address the challenges in the coconut sub-sector;That there is the need for synergy between NACOPPMAN and research institutions for collaboration.