Nigeria has called for a coordinated continental framework that will deploy science, technology and innovation (STI) to transform cassava from a subsistence crop into a major industrial and economic driver across Africa.
Speaking at the 2nd African Cassava Conference 2025, stakeholders outlined policy, research and technology reforms to reposition the crop as a strategic wealth-creating asset.
They said that with the right policies, technology adoption and equitable financing, cassava could become one of Africa’s most strategic industrial resources, capable of driving sustainable growth, job creation and shared prosperity.
Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, said cassava already holds vast potential for job creation, industrial expansion and rural economic development.
Opportunities that can only be fully unlocked through deliberate policy action, improved agronomic practices and continent-wide collaboration.
Bagudu noted that while many African countries possess the capacity to produce cassava competitively, trade distortions, inadequate research uptake and poor-quality inputs continue to limit the productivity of millions of farmers.
He stressed that such gaps underscore the urgency of platforms like the cassava conference, which enable researchers, policymakers and development partners to address constraints across the entire value chain. “You can grow cassava with the best practices, but if trade is distorting, as it often is what we are doing can be laid to waste,” he said.
He added that Nigeria will continue to engage global institutions to advocate for fairer trade rules.
He also said that the government’s Renewed Hope Ward Development Plan, which maps opportunities across all 8,809 wards, is designed to channel new revenues from macroeconomic reforms into supporting production activities, including cassava processing and value addition.
Also speaking at the event, Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, said Africa’s future competitiveness depends on its ability to convert agricultural abundance into industrial wealth through STI-led transformation.
With Nigeria producing over 62 million tonnes of cassava annually, the highest in the world, he said the crop must become a catalyst for industrialisation, feeding sectors such as food processing, pharmaceuticals, energy, construction and biotechnology.
Udeh outlined priority innovations the ministry is pursuing in partnership with research institutions, universities and private sector players.
These include developing climate-resilient and disease-resistant cassava varieties, deploying precision agriculture and AI-driven decision tools, reducing post-harvest losses through advanced processing technologies, and accelerating skills development for youth across the cassava economy.
“Africa will not industrialise through commodities. It will industrialise through value addition, powered by science, technology and innovation,” he stated.
He urged African governments and regional bodies to develop a harmonised STI framework for cassava industrialisation, one that aligns standards, strengthens local content, promotes technology transfer and boosts regional trade.
Delivering welcome remarks on behalf of the Continental Chair of Pierre Damien Habumuremyi, Pan-African Alliance of Small and Medium Industries (PAOSMI), Emmanuel Kwaya, former Director General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), said cassava sits at the centre of Africa’s industrial future.
He commended Nigeria for its leadership and hospitality, describing the country as a “global reference point” for the crop’s potential.
Kwaya noted that cassava is far more than a staple food crop, it is a strategic industrial resource capable of driving value addition, job creation, export diversification and sustainable industrialisation across Africa.
From high-quality cassava flour and pharmaceutical-grade starch to ethanol, biodegradable materials, feed ingredients and bio-based products, he said the opportunities remain vast but largely untapped.
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He identified persistent challenges, such as low productivity, post-harvest losses, poor quality standards, limited processing capacity, and fragmented markets, but emphasised that these are not weaknesses but opportunities for innovation, partnership and investment under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He urged stakeholders to adopt climate-smart practices, strengthen quality assurance, scale technology adoption and ensure social inclusion for women and young people who dominate the value chain.
Kwaya reaffirmed PAOSMI’s commitment to supporting SMEs, which he described as the engines of innovation and value addition.
He said the alliance would work with governments, research institutions and development partners to strengthen cassava clusters and processing zones, facilitate finance and technology access, promote cross-border trade and champion youth- and women-led enterprises.
