U.S. Tariff Hike on Vietnam Opens Rare Opportunity for Nigeria’s Cashew Industry — Adesokan

In the wake of the U.S. government’s proposed tariff hike on Vietnamese cashew imports, questions have arisen about how this shift could reshape global trade dynamics—especially for emerging markets like Nigeria. In this exclusive interview, Folalumi Alaran speaks with Ade Adesokan, Managing Director of Annie Glidden Commodities Nigeria Limited, the country’s only indigenous FSSC 22000-certified cashew processing facility. A staunch advocate for agro-industrial value addition, Adesokan unpacks the potential opportunities this tariff shake-up presents for Nigeria’s cashew sector, the urgent reforms needed, and the strategic steps that could position the nation as a global cashew powerhouse.

What US tariff hike means to Nigeria’s cashew industry — Adesokan
Ade Adesokan is the Managing Director of Annie Glidden Commodities Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s only indigenous FSSC 22000-certified cashew processing facility. He is an advocate for agro-industrial value addition and works closely with government and international partners to shape a competitive future for Nigeria’s cashew industry. In this interview, the international exporter dissects the incentives the industry could give to Nigerian economy against the backdrop of recent tariff hike by the U.S.

To begin, what has been your niche in the Nigerian-US trading world?
Thank you. At Annie Glidden Commodities Nigeria Limited, our niche lies in value-added agricultural processing, particularly cashew. We operate Nigeria’s only indigenous FSSC 22000-certified cashew processing plant, located in Kwara State.
We source raw cashew nuts locally, process them to global standards, and export them to discerning markets like the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Alongside FSSC, we also hold Kosher and Halal certifications, and we are at the final stage of securing BRC certification. These certifications give us a unique edge—especially as buyers increasingly demand transparency, traceability, and ethical sourcing.

What are some of the key milestones you have achieved?
We are proud of several important milestones, including setting up Nigeria’s first and only indigenous, globally certified cashew processing facility. We have built a network of over 1,000 local farmers, many of them women, thereby creating shared prosperity.
Also, we successfully transitioned from a trading business to an industrial processor, adding real value within Nigeria. We have partnered with global cashew NGOs which have provided critical technical support and strategic guidance.
To be honest, cashew processing is not easy. We started as “YouTube processors,” figuring it out with trial and error. We lost millions of naira early on. But with technical guidance from our NGO partners, we corrected course, and today we operate at international standards.

What does the proposed U.S. tariffs mean for the cashew industry?
It is a black swan moment! Vietnam currently processes over 90% of the world’s cashew kernels. If the U.S. enforces a 46% tariff on Vietnamese cashew, while Nigeria remains at 14%, it completely alters the landscape.
This shift makes African cashew—especially from Nigeria—far more competitive. For certified, export-ready processors like us, it is a rare window to scale rapidly and gain significant market share. But the clock is ticking. We must be ready.

What is the right way forward for Nigeria?

The path forward is ecosystem-level reform. We have worked with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Trade, and leading cashew NGOs—many of whom helped build the successful policy frameworks in places like Côte d’Ivoire.
The good news is, we’ve started the process in Nigeria—we already have a draft framework. Now we need implementation.
Take Côte d’Ivoire, for example: they produce 1 million tonnes of cashew annually. Nigeria produces just 250,000–300,000 tonnes, and most of our trees are aging. Without research and new seed varieties, our output will decline further.
Meanwhile, Cambodia is producing nuts with higher quality (52–54 KOR) versus Nigeria’s 47 KOR, and with seedlings that start fruiting in 18 months, not 5–6 years like ours.
Let’s not forget—Côte d’Ivoire now processes 45% of its cashew locally, up from just 5% a decade ago. Vietnam is already building factories there. They see the opportunity. So do we. We just need to act.
If Nigeria produced 1 million tonnes of cashew in 3–5 years, the foreign exchange potential would be enormous, and rural economies would thrive.

If you had the chance to implement one thing from the policy framework that is being developed with stakeholders and NGOs, what would it be?

The very first thing I would implement is protecting our farmgates. We are the only country in Africa where foreigners are allowed to buy directly from the farmgate, and it is robbing our economy blind. You can see Indians and Vietnamese buyers in Osun, Ogbomosho, Auchi, and Kwara, buying cashew directly from farmers.
Let me put this into perspective: if a ton of raw cashew costs $800 at farmgate, and the export price in Lagos is $1,000, that’s a $200 margin per ton lost to foreigners which our local economy desperately needs. Now multiply that by our annual exports—say 300,000 tonnes—and you are looking at a $60 million loss annually, just from allowing farmgate access to non-local actors.
That $60 million should be circulating within our economy, strengthening processors, creating jobs, improving infrastructure—not leaking out of the value chain. If we want real industrial growth, this must stop. Farmgates should be protected zones, like they are in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

What is your prediction on cashew prices in the near term?

From a macroeconomic standpoint, I believe cashew prices are likely to crash, especially with the pressure on Vietnamese exports due to the looming U.S. tariffs.
If Vietnam loses access to the U.S. market, they will redirect supply elsewhere, pushing prices down. And let’s not forget—Vietnamese processors have a history of walking away from contracts when the market turns, and there is no global framework to hold them accountable.
This is why Nigeria needs to establish its own legal and trade framework—to protect exporters, stabilise contracts, and ensure credibility in the international market.
Right now, there is unfounded speculation in the local market. We started buying Ogbomosho cashew at ₦2 million per ton, then it dropped to ₦1.35 million, and now it is rising again—but it is not backed by reality. If Vietnam, which processes 90% of global cashews, can’t export freely, raw nut prices globally will fall. Local hoarders and agents who are speculating may end up with huge losses when the correction hits.

What final message would you like to leave with policymakers and stakeholders?

This is our moment as a country. We have got the land, the raw materials, and a solid draft policy framework. We just need the political will and serious, sustained implementation.
If we act now—protect our farmgates, invest in research, strengthen local processing—we could turn cashew into one of Nigeria’s top non-oil exports within a few years. The FX impact would be huge, and the local development effects would be transformational.
We cannot afford to miss this window. It is time to wake up and take control of our value chain—before someone else does. And as a player in the industry, I am committed to doing my part, working with anyone who wants to see this vision become reality.