From Right – Left: Association of Cashew Farmers, Aggrigators & Processors of Nigeria (ACFAP) Chairman, Kaduna Branch, Mohammed Salisu, Representative of Minister of Agriculture and Director, Federal Department of Agriculture, Karima I. Babangida, Head of Agribusiness, Unity Bank Plc, Patricia Chinwe Ahunanya and Director, Int’l Fund for Agric Development, Kogi State, Stella Adejo flanked by other participants during the tour of Exhibition Stands at the Cashew Farmers and Processors’ Export Summit held at the International Conference Center, Abuja
Unity Bank Plc has partnered Nigerian cashew farmers under the auspices of the Association of Cashew Farmers, Processors and Aggregators of Nigeria, ACFAP, to boost production and drive export.
The bank, which is reputed for its focus on the Agribusiness value chain, partnered ACFAP to host a stakeholders’ and export summit intended to promote cashew processing and export in Lagos last week.
Nigeria is currently the 6th largest producer of cashew in the world, with the country producing an estimated 350,000 metric tons of cashew nuts and generating over $813 million in foreign exchange earnings over the past three years, according to the Minister of Agriculture, Sabo Nanono who delivered a keynote address at the summit.
The bank’s partnership is expected to provide funding opportunities for farmers to boost production to about 500,000 metric tons over the next three years.
Speaking on what inspired the bank’s partnership, the Managing Director/CEO of Unity Bank Plc, Mrs. Tomi Somefun stated that the support of ACFAP reinforces the bank’s long-standing commitment to the provision of funding for commercial farming, out-growers’ schemes for small holder farmers and various commodity associations.
“The summit has enabled us to re-engage with stakeholders to better appreciate where funding needs are most required now and in the medium term, to optimally develop the sub-sector for the benefit of the economy at large,” said Somefun who was represented by the bank’s Head of Agribusiness, Mrs. Patricia Ahunanya.
Somefun explained that Unity Bank has, through active participation in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN’s intervention funds and other initiatives, been at the forefront of supporting smallholder farmers with the objective to drive the federal government’s agenda to diversify the economy through promoting growth in the agricultural sector and its value chain.
Unity bank has a strategic business objective anchored on Agriculture, Retail/SME and Rural Development and has developed a successful business model that enables it to facilitate strong support initiatives to major commodity associations such as RIFAN, NACOTAN, MAAN, WFAN, SOYBEANS FARMERS ASSOCIATION, etc., to effectively reach out to individual players in Agribusiness.
