The Federal Government has reaffirmed cashew’s critical role in Nigeria’s non-oil export sector. This was emphasized by Special Assistant to the President on Agriculture, Abiodun Yinusa, in support of the newly formed Interim National Committee of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN).
Yinusa described the appointment of new leadership as a timely step to resolve years of constitutional violations and leadership crises within NCAN. He stressed,
“NCAN is too important to Nigeria’s non-oil export economy to be left in crisis. We are sanitizing our agricultural institutions to reduce overdependence on oil revenue.”
The Interim National President, Mr. Ademola Adesokan, was unanimously appointed and praised for his credible leadership and proven agribusiness track record. Yinusa expressed confidence that under Adesokan, the committee would align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which focuses on food security, value addition, and agricultural transformation.
The Presidency has also mandated the reconstruction of all NCAN state chapters and the conduction of elections within one year. Yinusa lauded the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment for their input into the Cashew Policy Roadmap and reiterated NCAN’s role in its implementation.
He concluded,
“We expect NCAN to operate transparently, democratically, and in full support of government policy. The Presidency stands firmly behind these reforms.”
