By Eneojo Herbert Idakwo
The National Cashew Association of Nigeria has thrown its full weight behind an ambitious plan to transform the country’s cashew landscape. At its Annual General Meeting held in Abuja on 22 January 2026, NCAN formally endorsed a 500 million cashew seedling production and distribution project for the 2026 planting season, describing it as a decisive step toward securing the future of the industry.The project, to be led by the Office of the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, builds on the groundwork laid in 2025, when NCAN facilitated the distribution of 120,000 cashew seedlings across producing states. This new phase marks a dramatic scale-up in ambition, one that aligns production expansion with the broader national push for non-oil exports, rural employment, and agro-industrial growth.The endorsement came against the backdrop of the Fourth Nigeria Cashew Day and 2026 Cashew Season Flag-Off, a forum jointly convened by NCAN and the African Cashew Alliance. Throughout the day-long summit, speakers returned repeatedly to a single concern. Nigeria remains one of Africa’s leading producers of raw cashew nuts, yet productivity at farm level is uneven, ageing orchards persist, and yields fall short of their potential. Without aggressive replanting and orchard renewal, stakeholders warned, the country risks losing both volume and quality in an increasingly competitive global market.For NCAN, the 500 million trees initiative answers that challenge directly. The AGM resolved that large-scale seedling production, if properly coordinated and transparently implemented, could reset the production base of the sector. Improved seedlings mean higher yields, better resistance to climate stress, and more predictable raw material supply for processors. For farmers, it promises stronger incomes and longer-term security.The Association mandated its President, Dr. Ojo Joseph Ajanaku, to liaise closely with the Office of the Vice President to advance the project and ensure that NCAN’s nationwide network of farmers, processors, and state chapters is fully integrated into its execution. The emphasis, delegates stressed, must be on equitable distribution, credible data, and clear monitoring to prevent diversion or politicisation.The endorsement also fits into a wider set of resolutions adopted at the Summit and AGM. Stakeholders agreed that production growth must move in step with domestic processing expansion, access to affordable finance, and stronger research linkages. Scaling up cashew planting without addressing value addition and market access, several speakers cautioned, would only reproduce old imbalances.By backing the 500 million trees project, NCAN signaled its readiness to play a central role in shaping national agricultural priorities. The Association framed the initiative not as a stand-alone gesture, but as part of a long-term strategy to reposition cashew as a strategic industrial crop and a reliable source of non-oil foreign exchange.As the 2026 cashew season begins, the scale of the task ahead is clear. Delivering hundreds of millions of seedlings will demand coordination across federal and state governments, research institutions, development partners, and farmer groups. Yet, for NCAN, the choice was straightforward. Without bold action at the roots of production, no amount of policy reform or trade negotiation will secure the industry’s future.In endorsing the project, the Association placed its bet on growth from the ground up. The next test will be turning that endorsement into trees in the soil, and into livelihoods that endure.
