Solidaridad, a solution-oriented civil society organisation, and the Sustainable Trade Initiatives (IDH) have concluded a policy dialogue under the National Initiatives for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Oil Palm Smallholders (#NISCOPS).
This move is aimed towards identifying actionable solutions to the traceability gaps in Nigeria’s palm oil supply chain.
Titled ‘Nigeria Palm Oil Import – Export Corridor and the Traceability Gaps’x the dialogue focused on fostering collaboration among stakeholders in the oil palm sector, strengthening regulatory frameworks and upgrading infrastructure and technology in the oil palm sector.
The dialogue also focuses on the alignment of practices in the oil palm sector in Nigeria with global market standards and ensures that smallholder farmers and local millers benefit equitably from the growth of the oil palm sector.
The participants include the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment at the Federal and State levels, the Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), the Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria (POFON), the Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria (OPGAN), academics, and private investors.
The Country Representative of Solidaridad in Nigeria, Mr Gabriel Fapojuwo, said the NISCOPS programme is building the capacity of smallholder oil palm farmers to bridge the demand and supply gaps.
The journey of NISCOPS traces back to 2019 with the first phase which ended in 2023, we have started the second phase and all along the target is to improve the yield and income of the smallholder farmers through climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land use.
“We are not stopping at improving the yield, we have to prepare the Nigeria smallholder farmers for the requirements of international markets, that is why we are focusing on issues around traceability of the product,” says Fapojuwo.
Also, the Program Manager, oil palm at Solidaridad in Nigeria, Kenechukwu Onukwube, said that Nigeria’s palm oil sector, a vital contributor to its agricultural economy, faces significant challenges in meeting traceability and sustainability standards, particularly in the context of global regulations like the European Union – EU’s deforestation-free supply chain policy.
“Despite Nigeria’s potential as a major palm oil producer, infrastructural deficiencies, limited digital adoption, weak policy enforcement, and fragmented supply chains hinder effective traceability.
“These challenges disproportionately affect smallholder farmers and local millers, limiting their access to lucrative export markets while risking non-compliance with global standards.
Public-private collaboration and capacity-building initiatives are needed to address these systemic issues and create an inclusive, sustainable palm oil sector,” Kenechukwu noted.
According to Abraham Ogwu, Senior Program Manager at IDH, addressing Nigeria’s palm oil traceability gaps requires an integrated approach that combines regulatory reforms, technological advancement, and collaborative efforts.
“Public and private sector stakeholders must work together to ensure that smallholder farmers and local millers benefit from the opportunities within the global palm oil market. This Policy Dialogue underscores the urgency of creating a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable palm oil sector in Nigeria,” Abraham said.
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