Nigeria has secured a strategic leadership position in the global oil palm industry following the election of Amb. Alphonsus Inyang, President of the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN), as Chairman of the General Assembly of the World Coalition of Oil Palm Smallholders (WCOPS).
Inyang emerged alongside other international industry leaders at the coalition’s General Meeting in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, held during the International Oil Palm Smallholders Forum, which attracted more than 400 delegates from across the world.
His election places a Nigerian representative in a key decision-making position within the global organisation, which advocates for the interests of oil palm smallholders and promotes sustainable development across the sector.
The WCOPS General Assembly is the coalition’s highest decision-making organ. The organisation was established by the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC), with support from the governments of Indonesia and Malaysia, Solidaridad, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and other industry stakeholders.
Inyang previously served as WCOPS Vice-President for Africa and the Middle East, bringing experience in smallholder advocacy and Nigeria’s oil palm development agenda to his new position.
Dr Gulat Manurung of Indonesia was elected President of the coalition, while Dr Napoleon Ningkos of Malaysia became Vice-President for Asia and Europe.
Other officials elected include Tuan Haji Azimi Bin Hassan of Malaysia as Vice-President for Asia, the Pacific and Oceania, and Allan of Honduras as Vice-President for the Americas.
Dr Djono Albar Burhan of Indonesia emerged as Executive Director, while Dr Paul Amaning of Ghana was appointed Director of Digitalisation and Innovation.
The meeting drew representatives of major oil palm institutions, including CPOPC, RSPO, Solidaridad, the Indonesia Palm Oil Association, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, the Malaysian Palm Oil Council and Indonesia’s Palm Oil Plantations Fund Management Agency, alongside officials of the Indonesian and Malaysian governments.
Participants reaffirmed the need to strengthen protections for the rights and livelihoods of more than 50 million oil palm smallholders worldwide.
For Nigeria, Inyang’s emergence presents an opportunity to bring the concerns of local producers into international conversations on sustainable production, market access, smallholder welfare and the future of the oil palm industry.
Beyond his role at NPPAN, Inyang serves as Vice-Chairman of the Technical Working Group on the Nigerian Oil Palm Development Strategy 2026–2050 and as CPOPC’s focal person in Nigeria.
He also works as an international resource person on oil palm and leads the National Engagement Group on Palm Biomass Valorisation.
