Nigeria has been selected to host the 16th edition of the African Cashew Alliance (ACA) in September this year by bringing together cashew stakeholders across the globe to discuss pertinent issues of the industry in Africa.
It is the first time the country will be hosting the African wide event which is expected to bring stakeholders in the cashew industry together.
Babatola Faseru, President of ACA made the disclosure while speaking at the Annual National Cashew Flag-off ceremony in Ogbomosho to officially open the 2022 cashew season in Nigeria.
He said this year’s Conference, will be held in Abuja from 12th -16th September 2022 with the theme “Strengthening Sustainable Kernel and By-products Marketing in the African Cashew Industry” and will bring together cashew stakeholders across the globe to discuss pertinent issues of the industry in Africa.
According him, the ACA’s decision to hold its conference in Nigeria was informed by the significant growth in cashew nuts production, processing, and business in the country over the years.
“This has been long overdue considering the significance of our country in the cashew industry and it is a great joy to me,” he said.
The Conference, he said, is a great opportunity for the Nigerian cashew industry to showcase itself as a powerhouse of the African cashew industry and more importantly take advantage to attract investors into the sector.
“We will be using this opportunity to attract investors, impact knowledge, harmonize our cashew industry, and many more to this beloved country of ours,” he said.
Highlighting the benefits the country stands to get from hosting the Conference, he called on all industry players and major stakeholders of the Nigerian cashew sector to embrace this opportunity, own it and give it the needed support for a successful conference.
“Hosting the ACA Conference will benefit everyone on the cashew value chain, from the farmer to the processor, to the traders and exporters.
“We will be working with you all to ensure we truly make this year’s conference our own. I would like to entreat us all to give our maximum support to make it memorable and beneficial to our cashew sector here in Nigeria,” he appealed.
Ernest Mintah, Managing Director of ACA, explained that Nigeria’s cashew industry has grown significantly over the years and even has great potential to grow bigger, especially in local processing.
He said he believed that growth in the Nigerian cashew sector will not only promote economic growth in Nigeria but in the entire continent.
“Nigeria has the biggest market in Africa, and this cannot be underestimated. In our quest to build a competitive African cashew industry driven by local processing, we cannot afford to sideline our biggest market, Nigeria. We believe that Nigeria has a lot to offer the cashew industry and we are confident that through this year’s ACA Conference, the sector will grow bigger in the coming years.
Highlighting the theme for the conference, Mintah said cashew stakeholders, development partners and potential investors will share knowledge and discuss major issues concerning cashew marketing, particularly kernel and by-product marketing towards the growth of the industry in Africa.
“We hope to sensitise and impact knowledge on how industry players can properly market their kennels to attract premium prices, while also looking at making good use of their by-products,” he highlighted.
The African Cashew Alliance (ACA)’s annual Cashew Conference, for the past 16 years, has been Africa’s biggest platform that facilitates stakeholder discussions and strategic partnerships among key actors of the cashew sector, development partners and governments, bringing together cashew stakeholders across the globe.
