George Enyiekpon, the Zonal Controller of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, says the agency will create no fewer than 344,000 new jobs through the “One State One Product Initiative”.
Enyiekpon disclosed this in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, at a training workshop on cashew production, with the theme: “Maximising the Potentials of Cashew from the Farm gate to the Market.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the workshop was held in collaboration with the Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
NAN also reports that the programme was held against the backdrop of calls for the diversification of the economy.
Enyiekpon said an increase of 20 per cent from the current production figure of cashew would create more than 344,000 jobs and generate $75 million additional income for the country.
“It is interesting to note that the cashew sector has the potential of earning $2 billion annually in the next five years and capable of engaging the unemployed,” he said.
He said the workshop was aimed at showcasing best practices in the cashew value chain for farmers, agricultural extension agents, processors and exporters.
Enyiekpon said: “Cashew is one of the 13 national products chosen by Nigeria to drive the non-oil export sector.
“Nigeria is the sixth largest producer of raw cashew nut in the world, with the product grown in almost all states in Nigeria.”
He said Nigeria’s cashew attracts the lowest price in the global market as a result of some challenges, which include low peel ability, poor quality, lack of traceability arising from fragmented value chain and poor skills among workers in the sector.
Enyiekpon said: “It is my expectation that at the end of this programme, the extension workers will step down the training across the 33 local government areas of Oyo State.
“This will ensure that cashew from Oyo State will be of high quality and command premium pricing in the export market.
“NEPC desires to see cashew clusters and centres springing up across the state and providing revenue for the state and the nation as well as jobs for the unemployed.”
Enyiekpon said State Oyo was the highest producer of cashew in the country, adding that this informed the choice of the state as well as Lagos and Ogun States for the training.
In his remarks, Gabriel Kehinde, the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, gave an assurance of government’s readiness to collaborate in exploring the potentials in cashew.
Kehinde, who was represented by Lukman Oladapo, the Zonal Manager of OYSADEP for Ibadan/Ibarapa Zone, urged the participants to make use of the knowledge gained at the training to boost cashew production.
He said the Governor Abiola Ajimobi administration was committed to the transformation of the state through revenue generation, job creation and infrastructural development.
NAN.
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