Cassava now key driver of Nigeria’s industrial development – Shettima

Vice-President Kashim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu’s administration has repositioned cassava production to ensure that it becomes a key driver of industrial development and import substitution in Nigeria.

Shettima said this on Thursday at a ceremony to mark the 2025 World Cassava Day, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Vice-President noted that cassava, which for long symbolised food security for the vulnerable, could also signify prosperity for the ambitious.

He said the government’s agenda for the sector is hinged on leveraging the crop as capital for reengineering the nation’s economy, strengthening rural livelihoods, as well as ensuring national food and energy security.

“We are moving from subsidy-heavy programmes to investment-led solutions. We are prioritising private capital, research, and coordinated action across government, academia, and development partners.

“This is with a view to driving mechanisation, agro-processing, quality inputs, and full commercialisation of cassava.”

Shettima said the commemoration of the day is a call to action, just as he invited all stakeholders to see the promise of the crop.

“Let this day mark the beginning of a new era where cassava is not merely grown, but transformed.

“Where our fields are not only bountiful, but profitable. Where Nigeria leads not just in tonnes harvested, but in value created.

“Cassava is one of the most strategic assets in our agricultural portfolio. Its applications cut across food, feed, fuel, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and even construction.”

While outlining the Federal Government’s efforts in this regard, Shettima noted that one of the most promising shifts the Tinubu administration has made is the Cassava Bioethanol Project.

“This initiative is expected to save the nation over three trillion naira annually by reducing our dependence on imported fuel additives.

“It will also stimulate the emergence of a circular economy in agriculture and allow us to harness cassava by-products for energy, fertilisers, and industrial inputs.

“What used to be waste will become wealth. This is how nations rise,” he stated.

He called for collective action, maintaining that it was time to move beyond plans and press releases to deliver outcomes that transform lives and rebuild rural economies.

“The world will not remember our intentions. It will remember our results.”

Shettima commended the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, other stakeholders and partners for their continued leadership and contribution in agricultural innovation.

The Vice-President particularly thanked them for the deployment of the Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponic system for cassava seed multiplication.

He acknowledged the progress made by the country and fuelled by strong international cooperation.

Shettima highlighted the collaboration with Brazil as fruitful and a demonstration of “how agricultural ambition, when matched with political will, can transform even the most difficult landscapes.”

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi,, emphasised the need for all stakeholders in Nigeria, Africa and beyond to collaborate to ensure that cassava production is transformed.

He said Tinubu’s administration remains committed to leveraging opportunities across the country to develop and transform the cassava value chain through accelerated and coordinated intervention programmes.

The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji, said cassava holds immense promise, not only for food security but for industrial transformation.

“At the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, we are actively working to unlock the full potential of the cassava value chain.

” Some of our strategic efforts include supporting research and development through partnerships.

“We remain committed to collaborating with all stakeholders, government, development agencies, the private sector and our youths to advance Nigeria’s global leadership in cassava production and utilisation.

“Together we can transfer cassava from a staple food to the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrial economy,” he said.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement, Dr Kingsley Uzoma, said the event reinforced the Federal Government’s vision of coordinated action in driving agricultural and economic transformation.

He said marking the day aims at putting the crop at the forefront of socio-economic transformation and repositioning it as a strategic raw material.