Agriculture

Cassava Utilisation: Council Urges Encouragement, Training

Published

14 years ago

June 22, 2012

Director-General, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) Prof. Peter Onwualu, said on Tuesday in Abuja that Nigeria did not need a law to encourage cassava utilisation.

Onwualu said rather than official policy, aggressive promotion, encouragement and training would encourage millers and bakers to embrace the use of cassava as part of composite flour.

He said at a forum of the News Agency of Nigeria’s (NAN) that though cassava was primarily used as food, it could be used as industrial raw material and for the manufacture of more than 1000 different products.

He said that over the years, the RMRDC had been partnering with flour millers on how to add 10 per cent or 20 per cent cassava flour to the normal flour for baking.

“We consider cassava as an industrial raw material. Of course you know cassava has many uses; you can have up to 1000 different products from cassava, so it’s not just cassava flour.

“We are talking about cassava flour because that’s an area that if we succeed, the quantum of flour that can be used can be enormous and therefore we can reduce a lot of foreign exchange.

“The ultimate thing is to get bakers, confectionary producers, everybody who needs flour to start using it.

“The idea was that if they agree to start using this then naturally, their suppliers will know that they are also looking for high quality cassava flour as well as wheat.

“And so those suppliers will begin to look for those who can produce this high quality cassava flour.

Onwualu also told NAN that there had been attempts in the past to make flour millers to add percentages of cassava that was recommended alongside wheat, but such had not yielded much result.

He said that if millers had cooperated fully, those who intended to go into high quality cassava milling would have been guaranteed ready market.

The director-general said the frustration in getting the required machines for full cassava processing was a major challenge in the cassava industry, but assured that the RMRDC was already partnering to get involve local fabricators.

He particularly pointed at high quality cassava flash dryer, which he said posed a major challenge to fabricate locally in the past, but expressed satisfaction that with the intervention of the RMRDC, good local fabricators of the machines had emerged.

Onwualu urged entrepreneurs to take advantage of the technology to begin the production of high quality cassava flash dryers.

“So you can have like 1000 or 2000 of such cassava mills all over the country run by private people not by a research institute or a government agency and they will be producing and then some business men can buy from them and supply to the millers or to the bakers.

“Another approach would be to train bakers and people who make cakes and so on to know how they can do the mixing.

“And we have thousands of bakers and if these people were trained and they agree and they are motivated to go into this, you don’t need any National Assembly or anybody to enact a law.

“They can just gradually be using this; 10 per cent 20 per cent as long as they adhere to the quality and actually NAFDAC has a standard for high quality cassava flour.

“If you conform to that we are sure that that flour is safe and so I believe that this is the way to go.

Onwualu also called for greater empowerment of private sector operators to enable them to change their production line and harness research findings in cassava flour production.

He said that if fully implemented and bakers as well as mixers began to use cassava flour, the economy would be the better for it.

He said that although Nigeria was already the largest producer of cassava, a lot of work still had to be done in the area of value addition.

Onwualu told NAN that the council had investment profiles on the many uses of cassava and was willing to share such with willing investors.

Agriculture

KWASANGLaunches Cassava Processing Factory To Boost Value Chain In Kwara

Published

2 days ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

The Kwara State Government has inaugurated the Kwara State Association of Nigerians in UK (KWASANG) APEX CO-OP Cassava Value-Addition Factory in Osin Pakate, Ilorin East Local Government Area, to boost cassava value addition and agro-processing in the State.

Speaking at the event, Alabi, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Afees Abolore Alabi, described the initiative as a cooperative-led programme that aligns with the State’s agricultural development priorities.

He noted with satisfaction that the project demonstrates how farmer organisations, supported by the right policies and partnerships, can drive sustainable agribusiness growth.

Alabi explained that cassava value addition plays a critical role in reducing post-harvest losses, improving product quality, and increasing farmers’ incomes, while also creating employment opportunities for youths and women.

He added that initiatives such as the KWASANG factory contribute to food security, supply of industrial raw materials, and rural economic development.

Alabi acknowledged the partnership of the leadership of KWASANG with diaspora partners, describing their collective investment as a strong signal of confidence in cassava production and processing opportunities within the state.

The Commissioner further noted that cooperative organisation remains a key pillar in the Government’s approach to inclusive agricultural development.

Alabi stated that the role of the Kwara State Government is to provide an enabling environment through supportive policies, infrastructure development, capacity building, and strategic collaboration with cooperatives and the private sector.

He added that the progress being recorded across the cassava value chain reflects the development direction of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, whose administration continues to prioritise agricultural transformation through strategic partnerships and investor-friendly policies.

The factory, according to the Commissioner, is expected to process cassava into products such as Gari, high-quality cassava flour, starch, and other value-added derivatives for household consumption and industrial use.

Alabi stated “The initiative also complements ongoing efforts to strengthen the cassava value chain through improved access to inputs, extension support, and market linkages aimed at increasing productivity and profitability for farmers across the State”.

Earlier, the Chairman of KWASANG Farmers, Mustapha Tunde Salawu, appreciated the Kwara State Government for creating a supportive environment that made the project possible.

He encouraged Nigerians in the diaspora, particularly Kwarans, to look back home and invest as a way of contributing to the development of their communities, Kwara State, and the country at large.

Salawu noted that Kwara State’s vast arable farmland and its strategic location as a gateway between the northern and southern parts of the country made it a highly attractive destination for agricultural and agribusiness investment.

“The KWASANG APEX CO-OP Cassava Value-Adding Factory, is expected to reduce post-harvest losses, improve market access for cassava farmers, and stimulate economic activities within Osin Pakate and surrounding communities”, he said.

Agriculture

Livestock Ministry Empowers Women, Youths For Sustainable Growth

Published

2 days ago

January 2, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering women and youths as key drivers of a sustainable, innovative, and competitive livestock sector in Nigeria.

The Director, Technical, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Peter Alike, stated this at a Capacity Building Workshop for Women and Youths in the Livestock Value Chain, held in Abuja from Monday, 29th – Tuesday 30th December, 2025.

Alike emphasised that integrating sustainability and innovation across the entire livestock value chain, from feed production and animal husbandry to processing and marketing, is critical to transforming the sector and unlocking its economic potential.

He noted that building the capacity of women and youths remains central to the Ministry’s mandate to reposition livestock as a viable contributor to food security, employment, and national growth.

According to him, the capacity-building initiative is designed as a continuous and transformative programme, equipping participants with practical, hands-on skills that can be directly applied to their farms and enterprises.

He stressed that the training goes beyond theory, focusing on actionable knowledge, mindset change, and long-term competency development to promote sustainable livestock practices.

Alike further explained that the strategic importance of women and youths informed their inclusion as a priority group within the ten pillars of the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS), the Ministry’s flagship framework for sectoral reform.

In his presentation, an Animal Scientist, Ifeanyi Harry Njoagwuani, described sustainability as a continuous journey driven by science and effective management highlighting the adoption of climate-resilient breeds, improved genetics, precision nutrition through optimized feed formulations, and climate-smart housing systems as critical pathways to sustainable livestock production.

Speaking during a session on biogas production for sustainable livestock development, Ayoade Akande, underscored the need to strengthen extension services and promote private sector investment in modern feed technologies.

He advocated for expanded forage seed distribution networks, support for research and innovation hubs, and enabling policies that promote sustainable ruminant nutrition.

In his closing remarks, the Director of Livestock Extension and Business Development, Joseph Ako Eleojo, urged participants to form cooperative alliances and serve as advocates for change within their communities.

He noted that women and youths were deliberately targeted for the programme due to their strategic role in driving innovation, productivity, and sustainability in the livestock sector.

A major highlight of the two-day workshop was a study visit to De-Dre Solution Poultry Farm, located at Pasali 2, Kuje Area Council of the FCT. The farm, with a capacity of 24,800 birds, produces approximately 650 crates of eggs daily, providing participants with practical insights into efficient and sustainable poultry operations.

Participants at the workshop were drawn from poultry and ruminant farming enterprises across several states of the Federation.

Agriculture

FG, Ogun Distribute Inputs To 2,400 Farmers

Published

1 year ago

October 4, 2024

The Tide

Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.