Echocho and the National Cashew Production and Research Institute [A journalist’s perspective]

When Senator Jibrin Isah Echocho presented the Bill to establish the National Cashew Production and Research Institute for first reading on the floor of the Nigeria Senate on Thursday 14th March, 2025, it was yet another proactive and milestone moves to attract the presence of the Federal Government to Kogi East Senatorial District.

The Bill to establish the National Cashew Production and Research Institute has Idah as its proposed location and unarguably, cashew production was gradually becoming another source of national revenue that would be contributing to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP. The proposed research Institute as envisaged by the Federal Lawmaker was expected to work on the quality of cashew seedling that is marketable across the world. This will attract investors into cashew value chain. Expectedly, Kogi State and by extension the Eastern District would become the hub of cashew commercial marketing.

The research Institute which is to be located in Idah will offer opportunity for job creation for the teaming youths, as the institute will have its administrative structure cited in the physical structure at Idah where workers from all over the country will abode to earn a living wage.

Like the popular saying, “a round peg in a round hole”, the Bill is a product of good thinking of Senator Jibrin Isah Echocho, given its importance and potential of job creation as well as opening up of career engagement and career progression of workers that would be engaged in future.

Nigeria currently earns about $250 to $450 million yearly from cashew production and the Federal Government is working assiduously to increase the earning to $4 billion annually, a development that has made cashew farming a serious business of government in contemporary Nigeria.

Interestingly, Kogi State out of 36 States of the Federation is the largest producer of cashew nuts as it produces 40% of the total national output with Kogi East producing the larger output of the 40%. Cashew nuts in Kogi State has attracted foreign investors due to its high-quality in the global market. Though other States like the neighbouring Anambra, Enugu in the South East and Oyo in the South west are trailing behind in the cashew nuts production, Kogi State continue to maintain a commanding lead not just in the production, but the entire value chain.

Given the inherent prospects in the proposed bill, its up to the stakeholders, traditional rulers, youth organisations, farmers and associations in cashew value chain to lend their support for the bill to see the light of the day. The bill has been laid, it will move for second reading after which it will go for public hearing. At the public hearing, stakeholders and associations are offered opportunity to present papers and make strong advocacy adducing reasons the Bill should be passed. This makes the bill popular for it to be passed into law.

With the Bill to establish National Cashew Production and Research Institute, the legal framework of the Research Institute if passed into law is set to identify the value chain and processing, ensuring that at each level, the quality of cashew production is maintained.

Like Cocoa production in the South West, cashew farming in commercial quantity in Nigeria will one day be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Atekojo Samson Usman, a journalists writes from Abuja, Nigeria