The Federal Government has unveiled a national oil palm development strategy aimed at capturing 10 per cent of the global oil palm market within the next six years, as well as lifting about two million Nigerians out of poverty.

The government also projected that Nigeria would attain self-sufficiency in oil palm production by 2050 under the new plan.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sabi Abdullahi, while speaking at the validation meeting of the strategy yesterday in Abuja, said a coordinated national approach was critical to transforming the sector.

He said that fragmented interventions had hindered progress over the years, stressing that a clear and practical strategy was necessary to unlock the full potential of the oil palm industry.

Abdullahi recalled that although Nigeria was once a leading global producer of palm oil, the country had failed to sustain its dominance due to low productivity, weak processing systems, limited financing and poor coordination across the value chain.

He, however, expressed optimism that Nigeria could regain its position, citing favourable climate conditions, strong domestic demand and expanding industrial needs.

According to him, the strategy prioritises improved productivity through access to high-yielding and climate-resilient planting materials, adding that smallholder farmers would remain central to the plan, given their significant contributions to the sector, with measures to support them, including access to finance, extension services, improved seedlings, processing facilities and market linkages.

The minister said the strategy would be implemented with clear timelines, measurable indicators and transparent accountability mechanisms to ensure effective delivery.

Meanwhile, the National President of the Palm Produce Association of Nigeria, Dr Alphonsus Nyang, has said that the newly unveiled strategy is designed to position Nigeria as a major global player in the industry, with projected yearly production of between nine and 10 million metric tonnes by 2050.

Nyang, who is also vice chairman of the technical working group that developed the strategy, disclosed this on the sidelines of the validation meeting held in Abuja.

He said the strategy introduces, for the first time, a comprehensive policy framework to regulate, incentivise and drive the oil palm industry in Nigeria.

According to him, key institutional reforms under the plan include the establishment of a National Oil Palm Council (NOPC), an Oil Palm Development Fund, and a National Smallholders Development Fund.

He added that the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) would be transitioned into a Nigerian Oil Palm Board to oversee research, development and innovation in the sector.

Nyang noted that the absence of a clear governance structure had long hindered investment and growth in the industry, leading to a fragmented system with no central regulatory authority.

He said the new framework would create a structured governance architecture similar to what obtains in leading oil palm-producing countries, such as Malaysia and Indonesia.

“We have never had a policy before. This is the first time Nigeria will have a document validated and launched by the government and stakeholders to drive, regulate and stimulate the industry,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria’s current production stands at about 1.4 to 1.5 million metric tonnes yearly, stressing that scaling up to nine to 10 million metric tonnes within 25 years is achievable with proper implementation.

He, therefore, urged private sector players and investors to take advantage of the new policy framework, assuring that the government has created an enabling environment to support growth in the industry.