Business

Cashew Can Generate N1trn In 10 Years – NCAN

Published

11 years ago

February 25, 2015

The National Cashew As
sociation of Nigeria (NCAN) on Thursday, said that cashew export could generate one trillion naira in the next 10 years if properly funded.
The National Publicity Secretary of NCAN, Mr Sotonye Anga, said this in Lagos, at a business luncheon on the nation’s multi-billion naira cashew industry.
“As it is, the cashew sector in Nigeria will require financing to the tune of N50 billion to enable it boost production and in return generate a turnover of one trillion naira in 10 years.
“In the 2015 cashew season, we hope to contribute about N42 billion to the Nigerian economy; that is why we are saying government needs to support the sector.
“We wish that cashew seedlings be included in the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda,” Anga said.
He also urged the Federal Government to establish a National Cashew Seed Programme to consolidate the country’s position in the global cashew industry.
Anga said that Nigeria was presently rated among the top five cashew producing nations in the world, adding that there was need for government’s financial intervention.
The NCAN spokesman said that improved farm level productivity would be achieved by planting improved disease resistant and high yielding cashew seedlings.
He said the nation should start looking at the “cash’’ in cashew, saying “we should look from petrol dollar to cashew dollars because cashew has grown to become a winner crop in Nigeria.’’
“Our annual production of raw cashew stands at 144,000 tons.
“ We should increase our national average in terms of yield per hectare which is around 400 to 600 kg per hectare.
“ We should increase this to at least 1,000 to 1,500kg per hectare through rejuvenation of old cashew farms and capacity building for cashew farmers,’’ he said.
Anga called for value addition to the cashew being exported, saying “when our raw cashew is exported, jobs for Nigerians are exported too.’’
The Chairman at the meeting and member of the Nigerian Institute of Export, Mr Yusuf Nurudeen, highlighted the potentials in cashew production.
“The cashew nut and kernel have a lot of potentials.
“ The commodity that is of commercial importance is the nut which contains 47 per cent of fat, 21 per cent protein and 22per cent carbohydrate.
“It also contains about six vitamins, especially thiamine. The nut contains essential amino acids and yields of 6000 calories compared to 3600 from cereals, among others,” he said.
Nurudeen said that with the dwindling price of oil globally, cashew was a blessing for non-oil export sector of the economy.
The Chief Executive Officer of Export Platform and convener of the meeting, Mr Titi Olukayode, said he was delighted that Nigerians had begun to see the potentials embedded in cashew industry.

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya and Country Director, UNAIDS, Dr. Bilali Camara during the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding between UNAIDS and Airtel to eliminate Mother-to-Child transmission of HIV in Nigeria, at the Corporate headquarters of Airtel Nigeria, yesterday, in Lagos.

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

16 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

16 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

6 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.