By Unekwuojo Augustine Edime
Nigeria’s cashew industry sits at a crossroads. Whether it becomes a billion-dollar powerhouse or remains stuck at half its potential depends on one decision: should Nigeria review the draft cashew policy or rush to validate it?
At first glance, the difference may look procedural. In reality, it is the difference between a policy owned by Nigerians and one imposed on Nigerians.
Review vs. Validation:
What’s at Stake?
Validation means rubber-stamping the consultant’s draft with only minor edits. It is quick and efficient, but shallow.
Review means line-by-line scrutiny, integrating corrections and realities from farmers, processors, exporters, and state governments. It ensures the policy reflects Nigeria’s priorities, not donor timelines.
We must be clear: review comes before validation. A Technical Working Group (TWG) exists to review, harmonize inputs, and resolve grey areas so that when we reach validation, all stakeholders can endorse a document that truly represents everyone’s voice.
The roadmap, drafted externally, cannot gain legitimacy until Nigerians themselves have thoroughly reviewed it. Its circulation has also been selective, leaving out some key stakeholders. That is why the call for review before validation is necessary—not as a delay tactic, but to ensure fairness, inclusiveness, and transparency.
Why Review Is Essential
1.Transparency and Accountability
The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) has repeatedly asked the donor agency and its consultant to submit the consultant’s Terms of Reference (TOR) to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMA&FS). To date, the TOR remains hidden.
If the TOR is pro-Nigeria, why conceal it? A review would bring it into the open, showing who was consulted, what methods were used, and whether grassroots farmers were truly represented.
- Balance of Interests
Nigeria’s cashew value chain is broad: farmers, licensed buying agents, merchants, cooperatives, exporters, input suppliers, processors, and state governments. Yet the draft policy appears skewed toward donor and processor interests.
A review ensures fairness, balancing the needs of those who grow, add value, regulate, and trade.
I believe Nigeria’s cashew industry can only achieve its full potential if all stakeholders, farmers, LBAs, merchants, processors, exporters, and development partners, work together under one coordinated framework. Any attempt to exclude a segment will weaken the value chain and slow growth.
Any attempts to remove Licensed Buying Agents (LBAs) and merchants from the cashew chain would destabilize rural markets, impoverish farmers, and shrink indigenous and grassroots participation in the industry. The inclusive model is to reform and regulate LBAs, not eliminate them.
3.Sustainability Over Speed.
Validation may save six months, but review can safeguard six decades. Policies without grassroots legitimacy collapse at implementation. Inclusive, reviewed policies survive changes in government, attract long-term investment, and command broad support.
Côte d’Ivoire and Vietnam, now billion-dollar cashew powerhouses, succeeded only after subjecting their policies to thorough national reviews. Nigeria cannot afford shortcuts.
4.Institutional Ownership
A TWG under FMITI’s leadership, with representation from NCAN, FMA&FS, state commissioners, and value chain actors, is the right mechanism. Its role is to prepare the ground so that the validation workshop becomes a genuine endorsement of a well-reviewed, inclusive document.
That is how credible policy is made: through shared ownership, not imposed drafts.
Why Some Resist Review
Concerns about review are not accidental. They often stem from:
Fear of Exposure: Broader scrutiny may reveal flaws in the draft.
Narrow Participation: Wider review expands decision-making beyond a small circle of donors and processors.
Transparency Risks: Releasing the TOR may show that grassroots voices—particularly farmers, LBAs, and merchants—were sidelined.
Donor Timelines: Quick validation may fit donor calendars. Review protects Nigeria’s future.
In truth, the very things some fear—transparency and inclusiveness—are exactly what Nigeria needs.
The Case for Review in Nigeria’s Best Interest:
Cashew is more than a crop; it is a strategic economic driver. Over 300,000 smallholder farmers depend on it. With the right policies, cashew can generate billions, create jobs, and reduce rural poverty.
A rushed validation will not achieve this. Instead, it will sideline farmers, LBAs, merchants, and micro-processors, deepen suspicion, and weaken the policy.
A reviewed and inclusive policy will:
Attract investors by signaling transparency and seriousness.
Protect farmers and grassroots processors through fair pricing and stable markets.
Strengthen government credibility by aligning with FMITI and FMA&FS priorities.
Unite the sector under NCAN’s leadership as the umbrella body.
Conclusion: Review First, Validate Later
The cashew policy debate is a test of Nigeria’s commitment to inclusive governance. Will we take the shortcut of validation, or the sustainable path of review?
I welcome policy validation, but it must be preceded by a proper review involving all stakeholders. Otherwise, Nigeria risks adopting a policy that excludes farmers and weakens sectoral unity.
The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment must now show courage. By inaugurating the TWG, releasing the consultant’s TOR, and insisting on review before validation, Nigeria can secure a cashew policy that serves all Nigerians.
If we get the process right, Nigeria’s cashew policy can become a model for other crops. If we rush, we risk another document that gathers dust. The choice before us is simple: wisdom through review, or regret through haste.
Cashew is too strategic for shortcuts. Validation may be faster, but review is wiser. And wisdom is what Nigeria needs now.
Unekwuojo Augustine Edime is a Cashew Master Trainer (MTP) and Agro-Industrial Strategist dedicated to transforming Nigeria’s cashew industry. With hands-on experience in farming, processing, and enterprise development, he empowers farmers, drives innovation, and champions value addition across the national cashew value chain.
