Nigeria grows the cashew. Much of the value is captured somewhere else.
The raw nut can leave a Nigerian farm, travel to an overseas processing centre and return to the global market as a graded kernel in a branded pouch commanding a far higher price. Between the harvest and the supermarket shelf lie the factory, quality-control laboratory, packaging line, distribution agreement and customer relationship. Those are often the most profitable parts of the chain.
Cardinal Torch Company Limited is attempting to own more of them.
The Nigerian agribusiness company says it is investing $4.5 million in a cashew-processing factory in Sagamu, Ogun State. The proposed facility will have an initial processing capacity of 10 tonnes a day, with commercial operations expected in the first quarter of 2027. Management has identified February as its operational target.
The project marks a strategic shift for a business built largely around commodity sourcing, trading and exports. Cardinal Torch now wants to move further into processing, industrial by-products, packaged consumer goods and international distribution.
