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By Maryam Abubakar Gulma, Lokoja
The Kogi State Government has pledged to distribute over five million improved cashew seedlings to farmers across the estate as part of efforts to boost productivity and ensure sustainability in the agricultural sector.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo made the disclosure on Friday at the Government House, Lokoja, while officially flagging off the 2026 cashew production season. He also unveiled the Kogi Cashew Procurement and Trade Policy (2025) and approved the free distribution of hybrid cashew seedlings to farmers.
The initiative is being implemented by the Kogi State Commodity Exchange, Export Promotion and Market Development Agency (KOSCEPA) in collaboration with Agro Trading Consult Ltd (ATCL).
Governor Ododo described cashew as a strategic economic asset with the capacity to transform livelihoods and significantly strengthen the state’s economy. He called on the people of Kogi State to unite and fully harness the opportunities within the cashew value chain.
He explained that the newly unveiled procurement and trade epolicy is aimed at curbing the exploitative activities of middlemen, improving price transparency, guaranteeing fair returns for farmers and strengthening quality assurance for Kogi cashew products.
The governor urged farmers, traders and other stakeholders to register with relevant authorities to benefit from the programme, while advising foreign investors to follow due process in accessing opportunities in the sector.
According to him, the launch of the 2026 cashew season presents significant opportunities for youth and women empowerment across all segments of the value chain, including cultivation, processing, packaging, marketing and export.
Governor Ododo further charged stakeholders to work closely with KOSCEPA to position Kogi State as a leading cashew-producing and processing hub in Nigeria and a strong player in the global market. He described the initiative as “planting prosperity for the future of Kogi State.”
Earlier, the Director-General of KOSCEPA, Mr. Adewale Victor Omofaiye, announced the commencement of the free distribution of hybrid cashew seedlings to duly registered farmers, noting that it was the first time the state government would undertake such a large-scale intervention in the cashew subsector.
Mr. Omofaiye said cashew enjoys strong global demand and explained that KOSCEPA was established to expand international market access for Kogi products, promote value addition through processing, packaging and branding, create jobs for youths and boost revenue generation for the state’s socio-economic development.
He disclosed that Nigeria currently ranks as the fourth-largest cashew producer globally, with an annual output of about 450,000 metric tonnes and export earnings exceeding 700 million dollars. According to him, Kogi State accounts for an estimated 40 per cent of the country’s total cashew output.
He added that cashew production is most prominent in the eastern part of the state, which contributes about 60 per cent of total output, with additional production from the western and central zones.
For the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Kogi State recorded an estimated annual output of about 350,000 metric tonnes. Mr. Omofaiye assured that the state government remains committed to sustaining and expanding this capacity.
He also renewed the call on private investors to establish cashew processing factories in Kogi State, noting that despite the state’s massive production capacity, there is currently no functional cashew processing facility within the state.
