From your experience working with farmers in Osun State, and other parts of Nigeria, what are some of the biggest challenges currently affecting agricultural producers, particularly smallholder farmers?
From our work with farmers in Osun State and other parts of Nigeria, the biggest challenges for smallholder producers include limited access to affordable finance and quality inputs, inadequate storage and post-harvest infrastructure leading to high losses, poor rural road networks that raise transport costs, and price volatility combined with weak market information. Climate variability and limited extension support further constrain productivity and incomes.
Nigeria has enormous agricultural potential but still imports several commodities and processed agricultural products.
What do you believe needs to change for Nigeria to move from being primarily a producer and exporter of raw commodities to becoming a major processor and value-added agricultural economy?
Nigeria needs stronger investment in processing infrastructure, consistent power supply, and supportive policies that encourage local value addition, rather than raw exports. Improved access to finance for agro-processors, skills development, quality standards enforcement, and better linkage between farmers and processors are essential. When local processing becomes competitive, more of the value will be retained in the economy and employment will expand beyond primary production.
Commodity prices can be highly unpredictable, while issues such as transportation, storage, access to finance and inadequate infrastructure also affect agricultural businesses. How does Kehtol manage these challenges and protect both its farmers and its business?
We manage price volatility through careful market monitoring, diversified commodity portfolios, and forward planning with buyers. On operational challenges, we prioritise efficient logistics partnerships, basic aggregation and storage points to reduce losses, and selective use of available financing tools. By maintaining close relationships with farmers and transparent pricing, we help buffer them against extreme fluctuations while protecting our own margins through disciplined cost control and multi-crop operations.
How important are partnerships with local farmers and farming communities to Kehtol’s operations, and what initiatives, if any, does the company have to improve farmers’ productivity, income and access to markets?
Partnerships with local farmers and communities are central to our model. We work directly with farming groups in and around Osogbo, providing market access, quality feedback and, where possible, practical support that improves productivity and income. These relationships give us reliable supply and give farmers a more predictable outlet. We continue to explore ways to strengthen these links through better coordination and shared value.
With growing global demand for Nigerian agricultural commodities, particularly cocoa, cashew and other exportable crops, what opportunities do you see for Kehtol in the international market?
Growing global demand for Nigerian cocoa, cashew and other export crops presents clear opportunities. We see potential to increase volumes of high-quality, traceable produce, strengthen relationships with international buyers, and position Kehtol as a reliable supplier of Nigerian origin commodities. Expanding our export footprint while maintaining quality and consistency will allow us to capture more of this demand.
Looking at the next five years, what are the major plans for Kehtol Global Investment Company Limited?
Over the next five years our priorities include expanding our farming and aggregation operations, increasing export volumes, and exploring limited processing or value-addition activities where feasible. We also aim to deepen partnerships with farmers and end-users while remaining focused on the core commodities that play to our strengths. Disciplined growth and operational excellence remain the guiding principles.