• As NCIA Sparks Dialogue On Cassava Investment, Industrialisation
The Federal Government says it is prioritising private capital, research, and coordinated action to drive mechanisation, processing, and full commercialisation to transform the agricultural sector.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who gave the assurance in his opening address at an event organised to mark the World Cassava Day 2025, described cassava as a strategic national asset with cross-sector potential.
“Cassava cuts across food, fuel, pharmaceuticals, and even textiles and construction; it’s an opportunity to re-engineer our economy and strengthen livelihoods.”
He also highlighted the government’s shift from subsidies to more sustainable, investment-driven approaches.
“We are prioritising private capital, research, and coordinated action to drive mechanisation, processing, and full commercialisation,” the Vice President said.
The ceremony, which attracted more than 200 stakeholders from across Nigeria’s agricultural and investment sectors, was convened at the Office of the Vice President, with the theme, ‘Farm to Global Markets: Driving Industrialisation, Food Security and Exports’. It also brought national attention to cassava’s untapped economic potential.
The forum was hosted by Cavista Holdings in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President and the Project Management Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement, Dr. Kingsley Uzoma.
Strategic support was provided by the Nigeria Cassava Investment Accelerator (NCIA), a Lagos Business School-led initiative implemented with the Boston Consulting Group. Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc also supported the event as a corporate sponsor.
At the heart of NCIA’s mission is a bold vision – to transform cassava from a subsistence crop into a driver of industrial growth and inclusive economic development. The initiative aims to unlock over $800 million in economic value by improving access to investment, strengthening supply chains, and supporting enabling policies.
During the programme, government officials, financiers, agribusiness leaders, and development partners explored one of the sector’s most pressing challenges — how to scale cassava industrialisation in a way that benefits smallholders and attracts private capital.
Speakers stressed the importance of linking farm productivity with modern processing infrastructure and long-term finance. They highlighted the need for policy reforms that enable the growth of high-value cassava derivatives, including sweeteners, high-quality cassava flour, starch, and bioethanol.
A key moment was a panel discussion on unlocking capital for cassava industrialisation, moderated by Professor Olayinka David-West, Dean of Lagos Business School and NCIA project lead.
“Cassava industrialisation is critical to driving inclusive economic growth in Nigeria,” said David-West. “But it cannot happen in isolation. It requires deliberate collaboration, de-risked and patient capital, and policies that connect smallholder productivity to large-scale processing and market offtake.”
The panel featured senior executives from Sterling Bank, NIRSAL Plc, Bank of Agriculture, and Cavista Holdings. Each brought perspectives on financing models, policy gaps, and the conditions needed to move cassava from subsistence to scale.
Operating since 2024, the NCIA is helping to reposition Nigeria not just as the world’s largest cassava producer, but also as a future leader in cassava-based manufacturing. The initiative focuses on investment facilitation, industrial pathway development, supply chain strengthening, capacity building, and policy advocacy.
