Nigeria’s Cashew Industry: A Growing Opportunity

Favour Ojo

Nigeria’s cashew exports have generated over $400 million, with the potential for more value addition and local consumption. In fact, the country exported around 600,000 metric tonnes of cashew in 2025, with earnings reaching $700 million. The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) believes that with proper investment and policies, Nigeria’s cashew industry could generate up to $10 billion annually. The focus now is on increasing local processing and value addition, as currently, only 20-30% of Nigeria’s cashew is processed locally. This presents an opportunity for job creation, revenue growth, and economic diversification.

Nigeria’s cashew industry is experiencing significant growth and investment, with several initiatives underway to boost local processing and value addition. The country produces around 250,000 to 300,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts annually, but less than 10% is processed locally, with most exported unprocessed. To address this, the Nigerian government and private sector are investing in processing facilities. For instance, Robust International is building a $75 million cashew processing plant in Ogun State, which will more than double its processing capacity to 220 metric tonnes per day. This project is expected to generate $335 million in export revenue and create up to 900 jobs.

Additionally, Starlink Global is establishing a state-of-the-art processing facility capable of handling 30,000 metric tons of raw cashew nuts annually, creating employment opportunities and stimulating ancillary businesses. The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) is also promoting local processing and value addition, with plans to enforce a 30% value addition requirement on raw materials like cashew before export. These initiatives are expected to drive growth in Nigeria’s cashew industry, creating new opportunities for farmers, processors, and exporters.