Sabi, a B2B startup that builds digital tools to aid commerce, will partner with Nectar Fresh and Meadow Foods to create a reliable supply chain for cash crops like cashew nuts and shea nuts. The project, approved by the Federal Ministry of Environment, will involve the management of 250,000 hectares of the Opara Forest reserve in Oyo State. The three companies will invest an estimated ₦52 million over the next year.
Tagged the Oyo State Aggregation Initiative, the project will create jobs for at least 350 people by year-end and drive economic growth in Saki, Otiki, and Agbugudu communities. A centralized warehouse in Saki will also be built to provide quality storage for export-ready commodities.
The partnership comes as Nigeria battles its highest food inflation in nearly three decades and the surge in food prices putting millions of Nigerians at risk of malnutrition. The agriculture supply chain has come under tremendous pressure with climate change reducing yields and security challenges in many parts of the country raising transportation costs. Many experts say technology and technical know-how can solve some structural problems in the supply chain.
The project is expected to create 30,000 metric tonnes of cashew nuts and 10,000 metric tonnes of shea nuts. “By empowering small farmers and providing them with the resources and market access they need, we are fostering economic growth and community development in Oyo State,” said Ademola Adesina, president and co-founder of Sabi.
Meadow Foods, the local subsidiary of Dutch parent Acrosstrades, will handle project development and management, quality assurance, and technology integration on the ground. While Nectar Fresh will engage with community leaders of the Opara Forest to ensure access to and development of farmers and their crops.
