By FELICIA IMOHIMI

Amb. Alphonsus Inyang, President of the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN), has been elected Chairman of the General Assembly of the World Coalition of Oil Palm Smallholders (WCOPS).

Inyang disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

He said he was unanimously elected at the International Oil Palm Smallholders Forum in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, attended by more than 400 delegates.

Inyang said the General Assembly was the highest decision-making organ of WCOPS, adding that his election would strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global oil palm sector.

He said he was elected alongside Dr Gulat Manurung of Indonesia, President; Dr Napoleon Ningkos of Malaysia, Vice President, Asia and Europe; and Mr Tuan Hassan of Malaysia, Vice President, Asia, Pacific and Oceania.

Others elected were Mr Allan of Honduras, Vice President, Americas; Dr Djono Albar Burhan of Indonesia, Executive Director; and Dr Paul Amaning of Ghana, Director of Digitalisation and Innovation.

Inyang, who is also Vice President, Africa and the Middle East of WCOPS and Focal Person of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) in Nigeria, said the coalition was formed by CPOPC with support from the governments of Indonesia and Malaysia, among others.

“WCOPS, supported by SOLIDARIDAD, Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and global oil palm producers, is dedicated to the promotion of smallholders worldwide,” he said.

He said participants at the forum unanimously resolved to protect the rights and interests of more than 50 million oil palm smallholders globally.

According to him, participants were drawn from CPOPC, RSPO, SOLIDARIDAD, Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA), Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), and others.

Inyang, an international resource person on oil palm, pledged to ensure that Africa’s interests were well represented in the coalition. (NAN)