By Lucy Ogalue
The Federal Government says innovation, science, technology and strategic policy reforms are essential for building sustainable and globally competitive cassava industries across Africa.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, stated this on Monday at the 2nd Africa Cassava Conference (ACC 2025) in Abuja.
The conference, themed “Building Sustainable and Quality-Driven Cassava Industries in Africa,” was convened to advance continental collaboration on cassava industrialisation.
Udeh said cassava had been positioned as a central pillar of Nigeria’s non-oil transformation agenda in line with the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy and Presidential Executive Order No. 5.
He added that Nigeria, currently the world’s largest cassava producer with more than 62 million tonnes recorded in 2023, was ready to lead Africa in deploying technology to unlock the cassava economy.
According to him, the continent must transition from subsistence practices to innovation-led industrialisation, stressing that climate-smart agriculture, AI-powered crop monitoring and advanced processing technologies were now indispensable.
The minister said the Federal Government would continue collaborating with research institutions, farmers, processors, and investors to scale high-yield cassava varieties and improve overall productivity across the sector.
He added that efforts would focus on reducing post-harvest losses and deepening value addition into products such as starch derivatives, bioplastics, ethanol, and fortified foods to boost industrial output.
He also called for stronger collaboration among African governments to develop a unified research and technology framework capable of transforming cassava value chains.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, described the conference as timely, saying it provided a pathway for countries seeking employment creation and inclusive growth.
He highlighted ongoing government efforts to strengthen the cassava ecosystem and emphasised the importance of research and improved agronomic practices in boosting yields.
Bagudu said Nigeria was ready to support production activities at all levels, noting that agriculture remained a reliable anchor for economic growth and prosperity.
He also called for coordinated African action on trade issues, insisting that no country could thrive alone under persistent global trade distortions.
Representing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, his Head of Public Affairs and Bilateral Relations, Okokon Etoabasi, emphasised the importance of value addition.
He said Africa must shift from raw cassava consumption to high-value products such as starch, ethanol, flour, animal feed and bioenergy capable of powering industries and generating employment.
Etoabasi encouraged participants to focus on improved varieties, technology adoption, farmer–market linkages, youth involvement and sustainable financing models.
Former Rwandan Prime Minister and Continental Chair of the Pan-African Alliance of Small and Medium Enterprises, Pierre Habumuremyi, also spoke at the event, highlighting cassava’s role as a key industrial resource for livelihoods and food security.
He further emphasised its importance in value addition and export diversification, underscoring cassava’s potential to drive economic growth and support sustainable development across African countries.
He underscored the need for quality standards, certification and improved financing, urging governments and SMEs to collaborate on processing technologies and market expansion.
Habumuremyi said ACC 2025 was a “Conference of Solutions,” expected to catalyse actionable commitments, new partnerships, strategic investments and policy shifts needed to move Africa from agricultural potential to global competitiveness.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference convened ministers, researchers, private-sector leaders and development partners to chart strategies for transforming cassava from a subsistence crop into a continental industrial powerhouse.
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