The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo has said that Nigeria was set to host the upcoming 16th edition of the Africa Cashew Alliance Conference (ACA) in Abuja.
A statement by Haruna Ibrahim, Deputy Director Press in the Ministry said the Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Evelyn Ngige, during the inauguration of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), recently in Abuja, said that the conference would hold from 16th-22nd September, 2022.
He said that the purpose of the conference was to have a sustainable African Cashew Industry for African Growth and Development.
Adebayo said: “Africa Cashew Alliance was established in 2006 as an Association of African and International Businesses (AIB) with interest in promoting a global competitive cashew industry”.
The Minister said that ACA currently had about 130 members who represent all aspects of Cashew Value Chain Production with a vision to achieve a sustainable African Cashew Industry that delivers the product globally.
He said: “Cashew, as you know, is an important commodity with high potential and prospect of providing and supporting the means of livelihood for hundreds of thousands of people across the globe, especially African producing Countries’’.
The Minister said that hosting the conference would enable Nigeria to be very active and supporting hundreds of thousands of Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) that includes; farmers, processors, logistics and suppliers, traders and exporters of the product in the country.
He urged the LOC to liaise and work closely with the Secretariat of the African Cashew Alliance (ACA) in the planning and implementation of various activities towards a successful hosting of the 16th ACA Conference.
National President of National Cashew Association of Cashew of Nigeria (NCAN) and Co-Chairman of the LOC, Hon. Ojo Ajanaku said: “It is a great privilege for us to be here at the inauguration of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the 16th ACA Annual Cashew Conference.
“On behalf of the entire team, I express our heartfelt gratitude to the Government through Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for pivotal role and support accorded us from the onset where the decision to host the Conference in Nigeria was taken, and to the National Cashew Association of Nigeria, we are grateful for standing by us as we together host this event”.
He said the ACA annual Cashew Conference since the inception of the Alliance in 2006 had become the flagship event of the cashew industry in Africa and beyond.
He said that for 15 times, the ACA Conference had served as a unique opportunity for Africa and International stakeholders of the industry to converge and discuss challenges and opportunities, find solutions as well as renew partnerships toward building a sustainable cashew industry in the continent and beyond.
Director, Commodities and Export Department and Co-Chairman, LOC Mr. Suleiman Audu said that the Committee would assiduously work and collaborate with all relevant stakeholders in the Cashew Value Chain so as to repose the confidence given to it by the Minister.
Audu assured the Minister that the Committee would strictly adhere to the Term of Reference (ToR) for the success of the upcoming 16th conference in Abuja.
It would be recalled that ACA conferences were held in Ghana, Tanzania, Benin Republic and Kenya among others.
