The National Cashew Association of Nigeria has unfolded plans to embark on a Special Cashew Production Scheme in 10 states in Nigeria.

The President of NCAN, Mr. Tola Faseru, listed the states to be used as pilot schemes to include Abia, Cross River, Kogi, Kwara, Oyo, Nassarawa, Osun, Delta, Akwa-Ibom and Edo.

According to a statement by NCAN, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent in Lagos on Wednesday, Faseru added that each of the states would make available 1,000 hectares of land for the scheme.

Faseru was quoted as stating this at the commencement of the just concluded Nigerian Cashew Season 2012 in Ilorin, Kwara State. He said that under the scheme, a processing plant would be established in each of the states to be fed by the cashew plantations.

He also said that the new plan would be providing jobs and wealth creation opportunities for the country’s teeming unemployed youths. Specifically, he said over 25,000 new job opportunities were being expected from the scheme.

According to him, the strategy will not only provide new jobs, but will also promote entrepreneurship, as it is structured to make the workers owners of the farms.

He added that the Governor of Kwara State, AbdulahiFatai Ahmed, had given the go-ahead for the scheme to commence in the state.

On his part, Ahmed, who was represented by the state Commissioner of Special Duties, Mr. Aliyu Mohammed, said that Kwara was proud to be a major producer of cashew in Nigeria.

The governor also projected that the state would play a leading role in the SCPS initiative as presented by NCAN.

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, had earlier called on NCAN and its promoters to put machinery in place and work towards doubling production and processing figures of previous years as a way of enhancing cashew trade in the country.

Aganga, who was said to have been represented by a director in the ministry, Omololu Opeewe, said further that the 2012 cashew season would be the beginning of a paradigm shift in the history of cashew industry in Nigeria.

The event also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the facilitation of the Nigerian cashew cluster finance scheme between the Nigerian Export and Import Bank, Ecobank Nigeria Plc, Abod Success Investment Ltd, ACET Ltd, KD Foods, African Cashew Alliance, AIMS Limited and NCAN. Faseru, on his part, said the signing of the MOU would assist in making funds available to cashew producers in the country.

He, therefore, called on all participants in the cashew value chain, from buyers to the local buying agents, merchants, exporters and processors in the country, to take advantage of this opportunity and improve the cashew subsector.