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.
Nigeria produces over 60 million metric tons of cassava annually, the highest in the world. Still, it captures only 2% of the $180 billion global cassava processing market.
For decades, cassava was viewed mainly as a subsistence crop, processed into foods like garri and fufu. That perception is now changing. Increasingly, cassava is being recognised as a strategic raw material for industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and energy – with potential to unlock more than $6 billion in value.
Bridging the gap between Nigeria’s vast production and its limited industrial share requires rethinking how cassava is grown and supplied.
Strengthening Cassava Production Systems
Cassava is grown across 24 states, with strong production in Oyo, Ogun, Kogi, and Benue. To secure steady supply, processors are adopting hybrid models that combine commercial farming with smallholder outgrower schemes.
Although national yields remain low at around 6 tons per hectare, far below the global benchmark of 25 tons, pilot projects show that yields can double or even triple when farmers have consistent access to improved stems, soil inputs, and agronomic support.
These improvements on the farm side are creating the foundation for cassava’s growing demand in industrial markets.
Growing Demand for Cassava Flour, Starch, and Sorbitol
New industrial applications are giving cassava stronger relevance in formal markets. High-quality cassava flour (HQCF) is being adopted as a substitute for wheat, with Dufil Prima Foods commissioning a 200-ton-per-day HQCF plant in Ogun State. Flour Mills of Nigeria is also expanding its flour and starch processing operations. In Oyo State, Psaltry International has established Africa’s first cassava-based sorbitol plant, now supplying leading food and pharmaceutical companies.
These investments signal a growing confidence in cassava’s role as an industrial raw material.
Barriers to Cassava Industrialisation and Growth
Despite this momentum, structural challenges persist:
- Logistics: Poor rural roads cause spoilage and unpredictable supply.
- Energy: Unreliable power forces processors to depend on costly diesel.
- Low utilisation: Many plants operate below capacity due to inconsistent feedstock.
- Financing gaps: Cassava’s long maturity cycle clashes with the short-term credit available in Nigeria.
Without improvements in infrastructure, energy, and finance, cassava’s potential will remain under-realised.
While the challenges remain daunting, midstream innovations are beginning to show what a more efficient cassava economy could look like.
Innovations in Cassava Processing and Supply Chains
New midstream solutions are helping to reduce inefficiencies and strengthen Nigeria’s cassava economy.
One promising innovation is mobile processing: truck-mounted mini-factories that convert fresh cassava into flour or cake at the farm gate. Pilot projects in Oyo and Benue have reduced spoilage, cut transport costs, and boosted farmer incomes.
Digital supply chain platforms are also being deployed to track deliveries, forecast supply, and curb side-selling. By improving efficiency and transparency, these tools make processors more attractive to lenders and investors.
Next Steps for Cassava Industrialisation in Nigeria
Cassava has long been central to Nigerian diets. Now it has the chance to become central to its economy.
For investors, it offers a scalable input and minimises import dependency risks.
For processors, it offers a path to scale profitably by reducing costs through local sourcing.
For policymakers, it offers a path to industrialisation through a familiar crop.
The perception of cassava as merely a subsistence crop is giving way to a new reality: it is an industrial resource with transformative potential. But progress will require coordinated effort.
Expanding cassava industrialisation demands bold investment, stronger infrastructure, and shared commitment from government, business, and development partners.
The opportunity is clear. The time to act is now.
These insights reflect NCIA’s ongoing work to catalyse cassava industrialisation by bridging investment gaps and strengthening value chains.