The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) has dismissed calls for restrictions on raw cashew nut exports, insisting that such measures would undermine farmers, discourage investment, and contradict government policy on agricultural diversification.
In a statement issued by its President, Dr Joseph Ojo Ajanaku, NCAN stressed that farmers remain the foundation of Nigeria’s cashew industry and warned that any form of export ban or disguised restriction would depress farmgate prices and impoverish millions of smallholder growers.
“Processors are partners, not adversaries. But industrial growth must be driven by government-backed incentives and innovation, not by punishing the very farmers who sustain Nigeria’s cashew economy,” the association declared.
While affirming its support for local value addition, NCAN argued that the real barriers to processing are high energy costs, limited access to affordable financing, and poor infrastructure, not raw nut exports.
The group pointed to existing mechanisms through the National Agricultural Development Fund, the Bank of Industry, and CBN intervention funds, while proposing the creation of Special Agro-Processing Loans at single-digit interest rates of 5% or less to make local processors globally competitive.
The association further cautioned that an export ban would violate Nigeria’s obligations under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), encourage smuggling, and weaken investor confidence.
On innovation, NCAN highlighted the launch of its Farmers Mapper App, a digital tool designed to generate real-time data and support transparent planning across the cashew value chain.
According to the association, the pathway to industrialisation lies in enabling policies, targeted incentives, and technology-driven solutions, rather than measures that would hurt farmers and destabilise the sector.
