The Federal Government has stressed the importance of cashew in the actualization of Nigeria’s non-oil export targets.
Mr. Abiodun Yinusa, the Special Assistant to the President on Agriculture, made the assertion in a statement on the newly constituted Interim National Committee of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria, NCAN.
He described the move to install a new leadership for the organisation as timely and necessary to restore order to the association following years of constitutional violations and leadership crises.
“NCAN is too important to Nigeria’s non-oil export economy to be left in crisis. We are trying to sanitize our agricultural institutions, and make sure that it contributes to our economy, without over dependence on oil revenue,” he said.
Yunusa commended the unanimous appointment of Mr. Ademola Adesokan, an Executive Member of NCAN, as Interim National President, describing him as a credible leader with a proven track record in agribusiness.
“We believe the Interim Committee, under Mr. Adesokan, will align fully with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes food security, value addition, and agricultural transformation.”
Yunusa added that in line with government expectations, the Presidency has mandated all NCAN state chapters to be reconstructed and to conduct elections within one year.
He praised the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, FMAFS, and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, FMITI, for their contributions to the Cashew Policy Roadmap, reaffirming NCAN’s role as a partner in its implementation.
He said: “Under this interim leadership, we expect NCAN to operate transparently, democratically, and in full support of government policy. The Presidency stands firmly behind these reforms.”
