News and Events - Nigeria Cassava Initiative

Cassava’s Next Frontier: How Global Innovation Points to New Industrial Opportunities for Nigeria

Cassava has long been viewed in Nigeria as a subsistence crop, a reliable staple that helps households navigate rising food prices and economic uncertainty. It is grown for resilience and consumed for survival, forming the backbone of food security for millions. Yet outside Nigeria, cassava is

Why Cassava Pre-Processing Is Key to Industrial Growth in Nigeria

Cassava is one of Nigeria’s most important crops, with the potential to drive industrialisation and diversify exports at an unprecedented scale. Yet despite the country’s position as the world’s largest producer of cassava, its industrial use remains unpredictable and difficult to sustain. The constraint is not

The Missing Pillar: Why Fit-for-Purpose Finance Matters for Nigeria’s Cassava Industrialisation Future

Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava, yet the crop remains underleveraged as an industrial commodity. Processing capacity is expanding, new markets are emerging, and demand for cassava derivatives remains strong. But one constraint appears across every segment of the value chain: finance rarely matches

Unlocking Nigeria’s Cassava Potential: What It Will Take to Scale High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF)

In October 2025, the Cassava Flour (Mandatory Inclusion in Flour Production) Bill, 2022 reached the public hearing stage in the Nigerian Senate, renewing national focus on cassava and signalling political will to drive local agricultural value addition. In parallel, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food

Strengthening Infrastructure for Cassava Industrialisation: A Processor’s Perspective

Editor’s note: This guest contribution shares the perspective of a private-sector operator in Nigeria’s cassava value chain. It reflects on the infrastructure, technology, and financing challenges that shape cassava processing, and offers insights into the investments needed to unlock the sector’s full industrial potential. Nigeria is

From Roots to Riches: Success Stories Driving Cassava Industrialisation in Nigeria

The insights shared here also informed recent features in Vanguard Newspaper and Business Day. Unleashing Nigeria’s Cassava Potential Nigeria’s cassava industry is evolving from smallholder productions to an industrial ecosystem powered by private investment and innovation. A growing number of agro-industrial firms are proving that cassava

Sustainable Cassava Industrialisation in Nigeria: Turning Waste Into Wealth

Globally, cassava processing is a $183 billion industry, yet Nigeria captures only about 2% of this value. Most cassava in Nigeria is processed into staple foods such as garri and fufu, rather than higher-value products like starch, sweeteners, or ethanol. This leaves significant industrial and employment

Partnering for Impact: NCIA and IDH Nigeria

The Nigeria Cassava Investment Accelerator (NCIA) team recently visited the Lagos office of IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative. The meeting brought together leaders from both organisations to explore areas of alignment in driving cassava industrialisation in Nigeria. Representing IDH were Eniola Fabusoro, Country Director, and Promise

Nigeria’s Cassava Industry at a Crossroads: NCIA Highlights Opportunities and Barriers

Cassava processing in Nigeria is gaining momentum, but deep-rooted challenges remain. Insights from NCIA, also featured in The Guardian, show how rising investment, industrial uptake, and midstream innovations are pushing the sector forward. Yet weak infrastructure, high energy costs, and financing gaps continue to limit growth.

Meet NCIA at Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 in Dakar

The Nigeria Cassava Investment Accelerator (NCIA) will attend the Africa Food Systems Forum 2025, taking place from August 31 to September 5 in Dakar, Senegal. With the theme Africa’s Youth: Leading Collaboration, Innovation, and the Implementation of Agri-Food Systems Transformation, the event will spotlight youth-led solutions