R-L- Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo, Honorable Minister, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Bababtola Fasheru, President African Cashew Alliance (ACA), Mr Ernest Mintah, Managing Director ACA presenting the Analysis of the Nigerian Cashew Sector (Photo: Supplied)
The African Cashew Alliance (ACA) revitalized their vision for the African Cashew Industry as it held the much-anticipated 16th ACA Annual Cashew Conference from the 12th to the 15th of September 2022 at the Sheraton Abuja Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria. The well-attended conference attracted various stakeholders and cashew experts in the African Cashew Industry with the theme; “Strengthening Sustainable Kernel and By-Product Marketing in The African Cashew Industry”. It was the first physical gathering after the outbreak of COVID-19 and the first held in Nigeria since its inception. The African Cashew Alliance (ACA) is a business association of actors and stakeholders in the cashew industry in Africa and beyond. Established in 2006, the ACA is devoted to promoting a globally competitive African cashew industry that benefits all actors in the cashew value chain, from the farmer to the consumer, through value addition.
The annual conference is a major part of the ACA’s obligation to keep the industry vibrant, responsive to the issues on the ground, and committed to the interests of all stakeholders. The outcome of the conference further buttressed the alliance’s mission: to create a platform for accelerating growth and investment in the African cashew industry through partnerships, advocacy, market linkages, technical support, and global networking.
The conference had a rich series of learning and knowledge-sharing sessions, exhibitions, workshops, field visits, meetings, master classes, forums, digital initiatives, and provided opportunities to form strategic partnerships among the participants, speakers, and seasoned cashew experts that addressed relevant issues and offered solutions to the challenges of individual industry players, institutions, the participating countries’ respective national sectors, and the global industry.
The 2022 ACA Conference highlighted the vital role of marketing in building a sustainable African cashew industry. The event helped to sensitize participants on kernel and by-product marketing and other important related industry issues, including high production yields, kernel and by-product processing and policy.
According to the president of ACA and MD/CEO of Colossus Investments Limited, Mr. Babatola Faseru, “the cashew industry provides direct and indirect jobs to over 3 million people in Africa, especially women, serving as the main source of income for over 1.8 million households in West Africa. Therefore, to ensure sustainability, we need to address the question of how important supply chain linkages are from processors worldwide to growers of cashews. We need to harmonize strategic measures for the management of Kernel and by-products marketing, and we need to address the issue of infrastructure to sustain the growth in the local industry, in order to compete globally.”
He also emphasized the role of technology in this pursuit, adopting the best technology for shell and apple processing is critical. He pointed out the need for diversification of shell processing; knowing that shell is the biggest waste and major concern in cashew processing.
In his closing remarks, he acknowledged the great work being done through ACA despite the challenges;
“We are proud that through our annual conference and many other learning events and services, we are creating the right platforms and conditions for partnerships, advocacy, market linkages, global networking and providing the needed technical support for accelerating growth and investments in the African cashew industry.”
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Among the special guests of honour, keynote speakers, speakers, panelists, moderators, stakeholders, and participants that attended the event were; His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Cashew Ambassador; Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo (CON), Hon. Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Republic of Nigeria; Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, Hon. Minister of Agriculture, Federal Republic of Nigeria; Amb. Mariam Yalwaji Katagum, Hon. Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Republic of Nigeria; Babatola Faseru, ACA Board President; Ojo Ajanakou, President of National Cashew Association of Nigeria. Also, present was the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Cameroon and President of the Consultative International Cashew Council Mr. Gabriel Mbairobe. There was a rich and exhaustive list of distinguished speakers from across the globe in attendance, who did justice to the conference topic and sessions held.
As a result of the quality of the event, it attracted exhibitors comprising industry leaders, key stakeholders, established businesses, as well as SMEs that gladly exhibited their products, services, and brands to the local and internal audience at the conference. This was another major highlight of the conference and they enjoyed engagement from the participants and robust media coverage from the mainstream houses, including TV, radio, print and digital, who were in full attendance.
The event also had support and sponsorship from industry leaders, stakeholders, SMES, and established brands in the value chain. The President of the ACA Board of Directors, Mr. Babatola Faseru, expressed the Board’s gratitude to partners, sponsors, and the hundreds of physical and online participants of the Conference.
As part of the post-event activities to continue to engage the various stakeholders outside of the conference, the president of the African Cashew Alliance (ACA) Mr. Babatola Faseru, with the team paid a visit to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Abuja and shared the progress of the association with the minister, Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo (CON). The president recounted the challenges in the cashew industry in Nigeria, and how the association have greatly helped to provide solutions to them. The president also presented the various physical and online assets of the alliance like the report, the strategic documents stating the plans of the alliance and the online platform where stakeholders in the industry will continue to engage in productive conversations that will move the Cashew industry forward.
In response to the president of the African Cashew Alliance, the minister for Industry, Trade and Investment acknowledged the work being done by the association to promote the production of cashew in the country. He noted that most of the progress has been documented and the ministry has it in a good report. He affirmed the progress made in export as one of the achievements of the association; Nigeria is currently second in the world after Vietnam when it comes to cashew export. He also acknowledged some of the challenges the association has surmounted and shared the excitement of a bright future for the cashew industry. He further assured the ministry’s support for the association. He ended by thanking the association and looked forward to collaborations between the ministry and ACA.
The association promised to continue to engage all the stakeholders across sectors including government and policymakers to ensure the goals of promoting the cashew industry in Nigeria and Africa remain a priority.
The annual conference provided an opportunity for networking sessions where participants were able to meet, network, and explore business opportunities and collaboration. The participants affirmed the quality of the conference and looked forward to next year’s conference, which promises to be bigger and better.