Cashew: former governor, farmers call for infrastructure investment

 

Major stakeholders in the cashew productivity have called for immediate infrastructure development through the producing states to enhance more economic earnings both locally and internationally.

Speaking at the Nigerian Cashew Day for 2026 prominently was the former Abia state Governor and a sitting senator at National Assembly, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, a major stakeholder alongside the others have challenged the government to immediately embark on infrastructural development that will bring about high productivity of the produce through value addition.

Dr. Uzor Kalu representing Abia North in his keynote address themed " Unlocking the full potential of Nigeria's cashew industry through investment, innovation and global trade" emphasized on the need for value addition infrastructure provision.

Kalu stressed that large scale investment is urgently required to develop more processing plants, modern storage facilities, export ready packaging and integrated logistics systems, pointed that cashew was a value that must be holistically develop along the value for better premium.

According to him " Cashew is not just a crop, it is a complete value chains produce from farming, processing, packaging, logistics, exports and by products. Each stage offers scalable business opportunities with strong local and international demand"

He stressed further that large scale investment is urgently required to develop more infrastructure along the value chains of the crop.

Kalu being the biggest cashew investor in Nigeria said that experience local processing significantly improves margins, create jobs, stabilizes farmers' income and also positioned the produce for global market.

Also, the president, National Cashew Association of Nigeria, Dr. Ojo Joseph Ajanaku emphasized on the need for state governors to get more involved in the economic development of the produce through infrastructural development along the value chains adding that discussion along how to get soft loan within three to five percent was already on going with some federal government financial institutions.

Speaking on economic figure of cashew to national purse, the president of Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations ( FACAN) Alhaji Sheriff Balogun said the crop with the current 600,000 metric tons production has been able to contribute over $400 million in non oil export earnings with more than 300,000 tons being exported.

Also, the president, African Cashew Alliance ( ACA), Mr. Ibrahim Sanfo also called for stronger government support to improve yields, expand processing capacity and deploy technology to compete globally adding that the continent only processes 10% of its cashew while the rest were exported without any value addition.