By Gabriel Ewepu
The National Cashew Association of Nigeria, NCAN, yesterday, vowed to resist any attempt to manipulate the country’s cashew roadmap.
The association made the declaration in a communiqué issued at the end of its 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM), held on Tuesday in Abuja, following the 4th Nigeria Cashew Day.
The event, themed ‘Unlocking the Full Potential of Nigeria’s Cashew Industry through Investment, Innovation and Global Trade’, was jointly organised by NCAN and the African Cashew Alliance, ACA.
The communiqué was jointly signed by the National President of NCAN, Dr. Ojo Joseph Ajanaku; the National Secretary, Engr. Unekwuojo Augustine Edime, the Chairman of the NCAN Board of Trustees, Sunday Uzoechi, and the Secretary of NCAN BOT, Abraham Adesina.
The communique reads in part, “The AGM resolved that representatives from all segments of the cashew value chain shall be convened in a single forum to review the Roadmap document before any validation, and further resolved that any clandestine review or collusion between individuals and/or organizations to influence the Roadmap shall be regarded as a deliberate attempt to undermine the interests of our farmers and compromise the integrity of Nigeria’s cashew sector, and such acts shall be resisted through all legal and regulatory measures available to the Association.”
Meanwhile, NCAN announced in the communiqué that it had unanimously resolved to expel Mr. Ademola Adesokan from the association over alleged impersonation and other criminal activities.
“The AGM resolved to expel Mr. Ademola Adesokan for undermining the integrity of the Association by unlawfully convening a purported Interim Executive Council and an unauthorized AGM in Lagos on 20th January 2026.
“The AGM noted that Mr. Adesokan, registered in June 2025, attempted to assume leadership roles and/or convene electoral processes within three (3) months, in breach of the NCAN Constitution (2017), which requires that no member shall be eligible to contest, be nominated for, or hold executive office unless they have paid annual membership dues for at least two (2) consecutive years before the election and have actively participated in NCAN activities, in contravention of Section 28(d)(v).
“His actions also violated Section 24(a), which vests all authority to convene AGMs and set their rules exclusively in the President of the Association, Dr. Ojo Joseph Ajanaku”, the communique stated.
NCAN also called for an investigation into Mr. Babalola Faseru over alleged connivance with Adesokan to engage in activities deemed illegal and contrary to the association’s constitution.
“The AGM further called for a full investigation into the culpability of Mr. Babalola Faseru and others in Mr. Adesokan’s unlawful activities and recommended possible disciplinary action at the next AGM”, it added.
The AGM also acknowledged the MoU with VINACAS and resolved to ensure the timely development and implementation of the agreed framework.
The AGM resolved that vacant offices arising from the demise of the Vice President, South-South, and the Financial Secretary shall be filled by nominations from the respective zones, processed through the Association’s established organs.
The AGM resolved to review the NCAN Constitution to clearly define the functions of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and strengthen governance.
The President is mandated to expedite the formation of a Constitution Review Committee, with ratification scheduled for the next AGM or an Extraordinary AGM if necessary.
The communique further revealed that, “The AGM endorsed the 500 million cashew seedling production and distribution project for 2026, led by the Office of the Vice President, H.E. Kashim Shettima, building on 120,000 seedlings distributed by NCAN in 2025.
“The AGM mandated President Dr. Ojo Joseph Ajanaku to liaise with the Vice President’s Office to advance cashew production in Nigeria.
“The AGM reaffirmed its commitment to due process, constitutional governance, and protection of NCAN’s institutional integrity, emphasizing transparency, unity, and adherence to Association protocols.
“The AGM instructed the President and National Secretary to continue consultation and action to safeguard NCAN’s reputation and operational continuity.”
Meanwhile, the Association at the Summit resolved to sustain the growth of Nigeria’s cashew industry and anchor it on a balanced, market-driven framework that expands production, safeguards farmers’ incomes, and accelerates domestic value addition.
Stakeholders at the Summit also resolved that domestic processing capacity must be urgently scaled through public-private partnerships, processing and aggregation clusters, improved access to affordable finance, reliable energy, and efficient trade and logistics infrastructure.
Cashew processors were encouraged to adopt backward integration models, including out-grower schemes and structured commodity partnerships, to secure raw material supply while improving farmer productivity and income stability.
The Summit resolved that incentive-based policies, rather than restrictive trade measures, remain the primary instrument for stimulating investment, including tax reliefs, tariff concessions, export financing frameworks, blended finance instruments, and targeted intervention funds.
Stakeholders resolved to strengthen quality assurance, certification, traceability, and compliance with international standards to enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness and credibility in global markets.
Domestic and international investors were called upon to leverage opportunities across the cashew value chain, including processing, storage, logistics, product diversification, by-product utilization, and AfCFTA-enabled regional trade.
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