Wednesday, September 3, 2025 - The National Coordinator of the Value Chain Development Programme, VCDP, Dr Fatima K. Aliyu, has urged the Federal Government to ban the importation of certain cassava derivatives to protect the local industry.
Aliyu made the call at a stakeholders’ advocacy meeting in
Minna, Niger State, where she observed that imported products such as starch
and other cassava-based items compete with local cassava products, thereby
hindering the sector’s growth.
Represented by Mr Agama Sunday, VCDP Market Development
Officer, Aliyu also noted that the cassava sector has not developed as rapidly
as the rice sector, despite efforts to promote both crops when the programme
began about 10 years ago.
She explained that, aside from competition from imported
products, cassava also lacks market opportunities.
According to Aliyu, to tackle the challenge, VCDP has
created new market opportunities for cassava products, particularly with
companies producing ethanol and other food materials, while urging farmers to
expand their cassava production.
“As of four years ago, there was no growth in the cassava
sector until now. And we want it to compete favourably with rice in commercial
form to generate revenue for farmers and the country. We want farmers to
expand, and we need industries to buy them.
“That’s why the Niger State VCDP, which is one of our
outstanding states in the last 10 years of the programme, decided to hold
meetings with stakeholders to discuss the policy on cassava production and on
the need to take advantage of the opportunities that abound in it,” she said.
Mr Boma Anga, CEO of Agro Nigeria Ltd, in a paper titled
“Developing the Dried Cassava Chips for Export,” highlighted the high market
demand for dried cassava chips from industries, which currently stands at 25
million metric tonnes, while Nigeria produces only 1.2 million metric tonnes
annually.
He emphasised that Niger State has the potential to lead in
cassava production and attract agro-industries, given its comparative advantage
in cassava production and strong performance in rice production.
Prof. A. A. Coker of the Department of Agriculture, Federal
University of Technology, Minna, recommended developing a roadmap to address
challenges and opportunities in the cassava industry.
He also suggested implementing tariffs to protect local
industries, increase government revenue, and encourage value addition.
Mrs Elizabeth Yisa, Niger VCDP Business and Marketing
Development Officer, stated that the stakeholders’ meeting was organised to
discuss ways to advance cassava policy and address challenges facing farmers in
transporting and marketing their products.
Earlier, the State VCDP Coordinator, Hajiya Hadizat Isah,
had encouraged farmers to seize opportunities in dried cassava chips production
to gain financial freedom.
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