Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has assured cashew farmers and investors in the state of his administration’s commitment to protecting them from exploitation, multiple taxation and illegal revenue collection.
The governor described cashew as a major economic asset capable of generating foreign exchange, creating jobs and boosting the state’s economy.
Ododo gave the assurance on Tuesday when he received stakeholders in the Kogi cashew industry at the Government House in Lokoja.
He noted that the expansion of cashew farming had provided legitimate livelihoods for many young people, keeping them away from the streets. He also commended industry stakeholders for their continued partnership with his administration.
Describing cashew as a high-value export commodity, the governor stressed that farmers and other legitimate operators must be protected from exploitation. He warned illegal revenue collectors to stay away from legitimate businesses, stressing that his administration would take action against anyone operating outside the approved revenue collection system.
Ododo directed the Kogi State Internal Revenue Generation Service (KGIRS) to tackle multiple taxation and illegal levies affecting cashew farmers. He said such practices hurt both businesses and government by denying the state revenue that should legitimately accrue to it.
The governor added that his administration would continue to block revenue leakages and strengthen the state’s revenue system to ensure public funds are properly accounted for and channelled towards development.
He expressed optimism that Kogi cashew would soon be traded in dollars, saying this would increase the value and global competitiveness of the industry. Ododo described Kogi as a producer of some of the best cashew in West Africa and assured stakeholders of continued support across the value chain, including production, processing, marketing and export.
The Director-General of the Kogi State Commodity Exchange, Export Promotion and Market Development Agency (KOSCEPA), Hon. Adewale Victor Omofaiye, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support for cashew farmers and commended Governor Ododo for his commitment to agriculture and the growth of the sector.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Kogi State Committee on Cashew Export and Investment, Dr. Idris Yakubu, said the governor’s support had strengthened confidence among farmers and other stakeholders. He highlighted the sector’s capacity to create jobs, attract investment and contribute to economic growth, while identifying security as a major concern requiring sustained attention.
Stakeholders also appealed to the governor to intensify efforts to eliminate illegal revenue collection and multiple taxation, insisting that only recognised revenue offices and authorised officials should collect levies from cashew farmers and operators.
Abdulkarim Shuaib, representing Kogi Central, called for improved logistics and infrastructure to enable the state to maximise the benefits of multi-million-dollar investments in the cashew industry. He also appealed for improved electricity supply in major cashew-producing communities to support processing and other value-chain activities.
Alhaji Suleiman Mohammed Kabir, a representative of Kogi East, raised concerns over multiple taxation, while stakeholders from Kogi West highlighted the growing scale of cashew farming at the grassroots and called for sustained government support to unlock the sector’s full economic potential.
