In a bid to transform Nigeria’s cashew industry, the National Apex of Cashew Farmers, Processors, and Marketing Cooperative Ltd has been established.
The organisation, which is a cooperative limited under the federal department of cooperative in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, aims to make Nigeria a leading producer and exporter of high-quality cashew nuts.
According to the president of the National Apex of Cashew Farmers, Processors, and Marketing Cooperative Ltd, Yunusa Gabriel Enemali, “Our vision is simple: to make Nigeria a leading producer and exporter of high-quality cashew nuts, while improving the livelihood of cashew farmers, processors, and marketers.”
Enemali emphasised that the organization is not an NGO, but a cooperative limited established by an act.
“We are different because we are not going to fizzle out,” he said. “We are going to create access to training and capacity-building programmes, improve market access and trade facilitation, support research and development, and provide advocacy and representation at the national and international level.”
The National Apex of Cashew Farmers, Processors, and Marketing Cooperative Ltd has a robust organizational structure, with a national body, state coordinators, and local government chairman or coordinators. The organisation aims to promote sustainable production practices, enhance productivity, and increase market access for members.
“We want to support the government in creating policies that will support the cashew sector,” Enemali said. “We also want to partner with international organisations, research institutions, and private sector organizations to develop a robust cashew market.”
Enemali highlighted the importance of cashew, noting that it is a multi-billion dollar agricultural sector that cuts across every sector in human endeavor. “Cashew is the third product on the list of what Nigerian government is selling to the world,” he said. “With the way it’s going, it’s now becoming the diamond from the tree, because everybody is looking for it.”
The National Apex of Cashew Farmers, Processors, and Marketing Cooperative Ltd is open to partnership and collaboration with various stakeholders to support the development of the cashew industry in Nigeria.
“We are open to partnership, activating SDG goal number 17, which talks about partnership,” Enemali said. “We want to partner with research institutions, government agencies, private sector organizations, and international development organizations to support the development of the cashew industry in Nigeria.”